Forgotten Events
by MikariStar
Summary: A collection of Naruto short stories, mostly humor.
1. Event 1

I'm revising all my stories and rearranging the collections. The "Events Best Left Forgotten" collection has the old versions of my Naruto one shots. As I revise them and post the new versions here, I will delete them from the other collection so that nothing is double.

xoxox xox xoxox

The reason why Itachi pokes Sasuke on the forehead: a fluffy story about little Itachi and baby Sasuke.

Forgotten Events

Event 01: Poke

"Why do you always poke me on the forehead? I'm your little brother, don't you like me?" Little Sasuke asked.

"I poke you because I care... I guess you wouldn't remember," Itachi replied.

The young Uchiha boy smiled and repeated his name once again for his little brother. "Itachi," he said it slowly pausing after every syllable "I-ta-chi."

The baby sitting on the floor in front of him giggled. "Achi!" He cheerfully squealed. "Achi! Achi!" He extended his little arms towards his older brother waiting to be picked up.

"You can't even say my name right," Itachi smiled amused. "You sound like you're sneezing when you try to say my name, little Sasuke." He sat down on the floor near his baby brother.

"Achi!" The baby boy repeated happily. It was the first word he had ever said. As their first word most kids say 'mom' or 'dad' or a variant of those words like 'mama' or 'papa', but not Sasuke. The first person Sasuke identified with a word was his brother Itachi aka 'Achi'. He picked up a plastic toy kunai and threw it at his older brother hitting him on the forehead.

The kunai bounced off Itachi's forehead and fell on the floor next to him. "That's not very nice." It wasn't long before his baby brother picked up another toy, this time a plastic shuriken, and repeated the action. "Sasuke, don't do that," Itachi tried to make him stop.

"Achi!" Baby Sasuke giggled and continued throwing everything he could get his little hands on at his brother. The little guy could throw pretty hard for a baby.

"Seriously Sasuke, you need to stop doing that" Itachi's tone wasn't as soft as before, now he sounded annoyed.

Sasuke wasn't sure what was going on but he knew he did something wrong. He didn't want his brother to be upset so he did the only thing he could think of to make things better. He crawled to Itachi and gave him a hug.

Itachi couldn't help it but to smile as every hint of annoyance quickly disappeared from his face. He hugged his baby brother back and suddenly his world seemed perfect. Regardless of the pressure he felt being the Uchiha heir who was pushed to be perfect. Even if he was never given any room to make mistakes and even if the pressure would eventually break him, at least for now he had his little brother. Sasuke was just a baby but Itachi felt he understood him better than anyone else ever could.

Then unexpectedly Sasuke picked up the little kunai toy and hit Itachi on the forehead with it as hard as he could.

"Sasuke!" Itachi rubbed his forehead and looked at the smiling face of his baby brother. "I guess that means you care."

End of Event 01

Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto.

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	2. Event 2

A collection of Naruto short stories, mostly humor.

Forgotten Events

Event 02: Summoning Jutsu!

Jiraiya, still young, stood facing his teammate and rival Orochimaru. At the time the three ninjas still called Sarutobi their sensei. "Get ready to face the boss toad. This time my summing will be incredible!" Jiraiya he flipped his long white hair and made a pose.

Orochimaru slowly shook his head. "We'll see who wins," he spoke in a quiet snake-like voice.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Both young men shouted at the same time as the palm of their hands crashed into the ground in front of them. A surge of energy was felt and the chakra grew strong. The summoning was a success... kind of.

They both paused and stared at what they had summoned. "Why don't we do this tomorrow? It's clear we both need a break," Jiraiya offered.

Orochimaru did not agree. Although his summoning wasn't what he had expected he was certain he could beat what Jiraiya had summoned. "No, this fight will continue right now!"

"Wow! What amazing summons!" A third voice was heard. That voice belonged to a woman. Tsunade approached riding on a gigantic slog.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru both glared at her. Somehow they knew she had something to do with their summonings coming out all wrong. "What did you do?" Jiraiya asked.

Tsunade grinned. "I'm not telling. It's a secret... Oh and Orochimaru, Anko was looking for you earlier. I'll let her know where you are."

Before Orochimaru could complain and threaten to kill Tsunade should she dare to reveal his location, a forth voice was heard. "Orochimaru!" The voice was high pitched like a squeal and it terrified even the creepy snake dude.

He knew without turning around to look that the voice belonged to Anko. She was approaching rapidly. "Alright Jiraiya we'll have our fight tomorrow." As soon as those words were spoken, Orochimaru dashed away running for dear life.

"Orochimaru! Where are you going? Wait up!" Anko called hot on his heals.

With a desperate look in his purple eye shadow covered eyes, Orochimaru quickened the pace of his mad dash for safety. How was it possible for a creepy snake dude like him to have a fan girl? It just didn't fit. Why in the world did Anko liked him? He would never understand. Maybe she just had a thing for snakes.

Once the pair was gone, Jiraiya looked at the creatures that had been summoned once again. "Really Tsunade, what did you do?"

She grinned mischievously again. "I told you it's a secret." Tsunade and the slog she had summoned left Jiraiya to continue to stare at the two unlikely summonings.

The young toad sage shook his head. Thinking about it, trying to figure it out was just going to give him a head ache. He started to walk away and glanced just one last time at the summonings. Maybe it wasn't so strange after all. They were a frog and a snake so perhaps it wasn't that unlikely that out of all the possibilities those two would show up.

The frog and the snake watched as they were left alone. "She must have slipped something in their drinks to mess with their chakra and make them summon us," the snake said.

"Yeah, they never take us seriously and summon us intentionally," the frog agreed.

The two looked at each other and nodded in agreement then they smiled. Just because their respective masters didn't get along it didn't mean that they couldn't be friends and play until they both poofed back into their own world.

"I'm going to be hokage!" A little boy proudly declared into the wind. He saw two strange animals playing up ahead and blinked. He rubbed his eyes incredulous. "Arbok and Keropi? Wait till my sister hears about this!" Then he energetically ran off, but his sister already knew.

End of Event 02

Note, I'm not trying to bash Anko or anyone, this dabble is just for fun. In case you didn't catch it the little boy at the end is Tsunade's younger brother whom Naruto reminds her of. Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto, I do not own Pok?on and I do not own Hello Kitty. 


	3. Event 3

Forgotten Events

Event 03: Dark Side

The Sound Four have been given their mission by Orochimaru. They were to depart towards the Hidden Leaf village immediately to retrieve Sasuke. They exited the room with apparent intention of departing right away until Jirobo made an interesting suggestion. To embark themselves in such an activity when they were suppose to leave right away would be foolish yet Kidomaru, Tayuya and Sakon had agreed.

They made their way to the indicated place and got the necessary items, then they started the very pleasant process. What they were doing; that was the reason they joined the dark side in the first place. It was so pleasant, so enjoyable, so delicious. During those moments it felt as if their efforts were worth it. A tough path lay head and they wanted to prepare and in what better way than this?

"What are you still doing here?" The items they held were dropped hearing Orochimaru's sudden yelling and the Sound Four scrambled towards the door. Orochimaru looked at the mess they left behind with disapproval. "Kabuto!" He waited a moment for the ninja to answer or arrive but no reply came. "Kabuto!" He called again, this time in a much louder and angrier tone.

Kabuto arrived in a rush. "Yesh, Owochimashu?" He paused and swallowed. "Yes, Orochimaru?" He asked speaking normally now that his mouth wasn't full.

Orochimaru looked absolutely infuriated. "You were doing it too," he accused. If his arms didn't hurt so much he would be pointing his finger at Kabuto to emphasize the accusation.

Kabuto's eyes widened behind his glassed and he shook his head. His silver ponytail danced from side to side a he did.

"Don't lie to me," Orochimaru was angry.

Seeing that Orochimaru's accusing glare did not change after another brief moment of playing innocent, Kabuto lowered his head, "I apologize."

"Never mind, just clean up this mess of milk and cookie crumbles," after giving Kabuto that order Orochimaru left the room.

"Join the dark side, we have cookies," Kabuto sarcastically said while he cleaned up the mess. Cookies were not the most threatening things in the world yet they had such an immense power over people that even the Sound Four felt compelled to have a delicious cookie snack before they left. Orochimaru had mentioned earlier that sometimes he thought Kabuto and the others were only there for the cookies. "Maybe he's right."

End of Event 03

Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto. This is based on a Star Wars inside joke and on Chapter 195 of the Naruto manga where it says "I will never forgive you who turns to the dark side." 


	4. Event 4

Forgotten Events

Event 04: Best Friends

When you were here...

Recently Sasuke couldn't get his mind of what Itachi had said long ago. To obtain the mangekyo sharingan he had to kill his best friend as Itachi supposedly did. Sasuke knew that, yet he never focused on the idea as much as lately. Perhaps it was because after returning from so many missions together over time, he had started to respect Naruto. He had started to see him as a valuable friend. Maybe it was because he finally had a best friend to kill for power.

Speaking of Naruto, there he was sitting alone at the bridge when Sasuke approached. It felt as if the Hidden Leaf village was deserted save for those two. There were in fact many people, but they were all absorbed in their own business. For a moment, Sasuke considered the thought of eventually having to kill Naruto for power and it just didn't fit. He quietly stood at the bridge next to where Naruto sat.

The blond boy did not turn to face his dark haired friend, but smiled sensing his presence close by.

Sasuke smiled back even if Naruto couldn't see it, or maybe because he couldn't. No, he wouldn't be like Itachi, never. Naruto was too much of a precious friend to let go of. To value friendship, to value the lives of precious people, that was something very different between him and Itachi. He would gain power but he would do it his way.

Naruto looked at Sasuke from the corner of his eyes. He could almost sense that he was troubled, but whatever was bothering him, the Uchiha had apparently sorted it out by himself in just a moment. Smiling once again, Naruto continued to sit in silence.

When you were gone...

Sai was simply unforgivable, Naruto decided that the second he was assigned to Team Kakashi. Yamato was entirely different. He was there to fill Kakashi's position while the copy ninja recovered. Yamato was there to help and support them on a mission; he was not there to try to take anyone's place.

Sai on the other hand, dared to try to replace Sasuke, an irreplaceable friend. Sai could insult Naruto, he could be rude and vulgar, but nothing that he could say would measure up to the offence of trying to steal Sasuke's place.

Sai could attack, he could betray, he could abandon his allies to death or bring death upon them, and if that ally happened to be only Naruto, he could forgive. But the nine tails fox's host could not forgive an offense to his friends. If Sai directed his attacks at Naruto, that could be forgiven, but never at his friends.

Sai was not directly attacking Sasuke, not that he would stand a chance. He was not directly saying he was a replacement, not that he ever could be. Yet he implied it. He implied it to the point where Sakura obviously noticed and even saw similarities between the two.

Naruto was upset. He was quick to correct Sakura and remind her of who Sasuke was. Cool, amazing, Sasuke Uchiha, their friend and team mate, the irreplaceable Sasuke.

One day they would get him back. Then when Sasuke returned and joined them on missions once again, just like before, Sai would be gone from the team. Or maybe, just maybe, he would be allowed to stay for a little while, just so he could see the amazing ninja that Sasuke was. Just so he could know from experience that he could never measure up, let alone replace him.

Even if Sasuke had left the Hidden Leaf village, he would always be a part of their team. Even if he fought Naruto, he would always be a dear friend. Naruto had promised to bring Sasuke back and he would. Because he was irreplaceable, that much Naruto knew for sure.

When I heard from you...

Time passed and Naruto started to get along with Sai, but even if they became friends, he still missed Sasuke. He had developed new jutsus, some for battle and some for his amusement when he trained with Konohamaru. Finally, one day he heard that Sasuke had defeated Orochimaru. Then Naruto was on a journey again, to find his precious friend.

End of Event 04

Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto. 


	5. Events 5 to 17

This are the new versions of my Naruto short stories. I'll continue posting them in this collection as I revise them and delete the old ones as soon as the new ones are posted. After I'm done with the revisions, I'll start posting new stories.

Forgotten Events

Event 05: Orochimaru's Request

The swirls of colors danced around her endlessly as Tayuya of the Sound Four struggled to get to her feet. Her head hurt like she never thought it could and she thought she knew what real pain was before. Her heart pounded irregularly and she remembered his request.

"Tayuya, I have a request for you. Only for you," Orochimaru had said.

At first Tayuya was happy to hear those words. She would have her own mission without the others. It was her moment to shine. She held her aching head and tried to blink the blur out of her eyes as her memories continued to flood her mind.

"This is a very special request, it is a request meant for a woman to accomplish. That is why I will direct my request to you," Orochimaru explained.

Tayuya lifted her head grimly and folded her trembling fingers around the bottle of sake. She doubted the sake would ease her headache and general body pains, but at least it would erase those memories, if only temporarily. That was her aim but it wasn't working, even with the sake's full effect hitting her harshly, she still remembered his request and the events that followed oh too clearly.

"Are you ready to do anything for me Tayuya?" Orochimaru asked.

Without hesitation Tayuya answered. "Of course Orochimaru-sama, anything!" Her stomach twisted and she felt an inexplicable surge of nervousness. It was a bad omen.

"Well then I will tell you what I want." He approached and she instinctively backed away. Her action was completely unconscious and she didn't notice she was stepping back until she felt her back against a wall. "What's wrong?"

"No-nothing," Tayuya stammered. "It's nothing Orochimaru-sama. What is your request?" Her voice came as a hushed whisper and for that she mentally kicked herself. She must have sounded like an idiot, but she couldn't help it but to feel odd. With every fiber of her being, she could sense that something terrible was to come.

"You're pale and sweating," Orochimaru observed.

Tayuya swallowed, took a deep breath and tried to calm her erratic heartbeats. What in the world was wrong with her? Sure she had heard about people feeling that way before a disaster struck, but never in her life had the feeling of a disastrous premonition hit her in such a way. Something bad was going to happen, she was certain of it. "I'm fine Orochimaru-sama." She moved her mouth and willed her throat to produce sound, but what came out was hardly audible.

"Tayuya, are you sick?" A third voice was heard.

Tayuya nearly jumped out of skin, but managed not to show it in the least. "I'm alright." It took an inhuman effort to make those words reach a decent volume.

"We will depart for the Village Hidden in the Leaves shortly after this request I have for you is accomplished. This is exactly what I need to prepare for the battle that is to come. If you're feverish let Kabuto heal you," Orochimaru suggested. Obviously he didn't care about her safety. He just wanted to make sure his ninjas were strong and ready for battle. "Perhaps Kabuto can accomplish the special request."

Kabuto took a moment to understand what Orochimaru was talking bout. His eyes widened and his expression made it clear that he found that special request to be quite unpleasant. "You know I would do anything for you Orochimaru-sama, but I do believe that this mission will be better accomplished by a woman." Kabuto approached Tayuya and looked at her. What little light there was in the room shone in the surface of his glasses as he nodded and shared his medical conclusion, "you're alright, just take a deep breath and compose yourself."

Tayuya took a breathed deeply and told herself to be brave. She was acting like a child; she was a ninja and had to be more adult than this. Tayuya nodded to herself, surely her messed up past was much more painful than anything that Orochimaru could request of her. "Orochimaru-sama, whatever your request is, allow me to do it." So it was decided.

Now Tayuya found herself drunken and in pain, as if every cell in her body was crying out for mercy yet receiving none. Then out of nowhere an angel of hope appeared.

"Hey lady, that eye shadow you're wearing, where did you get it?" Tayuya was certain that the entire bar had heard her and she didn't care. Orochimaru sent her out to buy purple eye shadow and she had wasted the day wandering around searching for it. The stores had blue, pink, black, green, yellow, brown, silver and every other color except purple. She was so exhausted and ashamed to fail such a simple mission that she crawled into a bar and drowned her sorrow in her sake. Now she saw a woman arrive to order a drink from the bartender and she was wearing the shade of eye shadow that Tayuya was searching for. She simply couldn't return to Orochimaru's lair without it.

"Do you like it? I'm a traveling merchant, I sell makeup. The purple eye shadow unfortunately doesn't sell well, so I wear it myself, that way it won't go to waste," the woman replied.

"Then you must still have a lot left? I'll buy all of it!" In her happiness to end her mission, Tayuya didn't have the heart or the chakra to steal the makeup.

A little later Tayuya arrived at Orochimaru's lair with the eye shadow and delivered it to him. Of course it was a mission meant for a woman, because women did not get weird looks when they bought makeup. Since she had purchased so much, the makeup merchant lady gave Tayuya a big jar of purple body glitter for free. Although she accepted it, she made sure to hide it well. She really didn't want Orochimaru to get a hold of it and develop a liking for it. Ah the things she did for their insane mutant evil leader.

Event 06: Karma

It was rather late one night and Jiraiya, at the time still very young, was heading home from training. "Jiraiya," a female voice called. The white haired teenager immediately knew it was his teammate Tsunade who had spoken. "Jiraiya, come over here," she called, not too loudly. It wasn't necessary to raise her voice to be heard in the quiet of the night. This would have been different had it been day time when the streets were busy with people and merchants.

Jiraiya looked in the direction where the voice came from. It was a rather dark corner and in the faint light of a crescent moon, he could only make out three figures. One of them he knew was Tsunade. The other two he couldn't identify but could tell they were female. His mind went over a list of names of Tsunade's friends and he soon had a pretty good idea who the two girls standing left and right from Tsunade were.

"Come over here," Tsunade spoke once again.

Suddenly Jiraiya was unsure. He really didn't think he should walk into the dark corner. As a ninja he was brave, but there was a big difference between being brave and being suicidal. "Why?" He cautiously asked.

"Come over here," Tsunade repeated. Tsunade was holding something. The other girls were holding items too. They moved their hands from the items and then to their mouths.

Jiraiya froze. Surely they were eating something that would make them super strong, as if Tsunade needed something like that. She was already freakishly strong in his opinion. Surely they wanted him to walk into a trap. They wanted to capture him in their dark corner and beat him up. He would be left in an unconscious bloody puddle should he go near them. His legs felt like pudding and were having trouble sustaining his weight. He willed them to move and run away, to carry him to safety, but they refused.

"Come over here Jiraiya," Tsunade insisted.

Jiraiya gulped. Ninjas did not back down from challenges. He approached slowly until he was close enough to see the item Tsunade was holding out to him despite the darkness.

"Want some?" She innocently asked holding out a piece of cake in a little plastic dish with a plastic fork stabbed into it.

Jiraiya blinked and took a deep breath. He was relieved to see Tsunade and her friends weren't planning an ambush, they just want to share their cake. "Sure!" Jiraiya took the cake and glanced at the girls who grinned mischievously.

As if fearing they would be discovered Tsunade and her friends made up excuses and left. The next day would be fun.

For the next few minutes Jiraiya walked around staring at his cake. The girls were eating slices that looked like they came from the same cake before so it couldn't be poisoned. Unless Tsunade had the antidote and give it to her friends already, or maybe it just didn't work on girls for some reason. Jiraiya didn't know, but the piece of cake looked suspicious although very appetizing. He sat in a park bench and placed the little plastic plate with the slice of cake beside him. He contemplated the stars for a moment and wondered what he should do. Soon a decision was made, he would stop being such a coward and eat that cake!

When Jiraiya turned his head to look at the cake he found only the empty plastic plate with a few crumbs. A tongue placed the plastic fork back on the plate and quickly hid in the mouth of its owner. "Orochimaru!" Jiraiya scolded, "that was mine!"

"You didn't look like you were going to eat it," Orochimaru made his escape, leaving a very annoyed Jiraiya in the park.

The next day Jiraiya saw Tsunade and her friends from the previous night at the park. "Ew!" One of them complained

"This is no fun!" The other said.

Tsunade rolled up a piece of newspaper and hit Orochimaru on the head. "Bad! You're supposed to fetch the ball and bring it back, not grab it in mid air with your tongue. You haven't even moved from that spot since we came to the park!"

Orochimaru, who was acting more like a dog than a snake, whined like a puppy.

Tsunade shook her head. "You stole Jiraiya's cake didn't you? This is karma."

Event 07: Impatience

He let the hot water pour from the shower and attempted to wash his long black hair. Even evil snakes need to get cleaned up once in a while. The plan for the day included soap, shampoo, hot water and then back to training and evil plots. However, not everything went according to plan even if the plan for that day was so simple.

"Orochimaru-sama, I found the information you asked me to collect," came Kabuto's voice all of a sudden, disturbing the silence recently shattered by his knocking on the bathroom door.

Orochimaru almost jumped out of his skin, though not literally. He had to quickly concentrate chakra on his feet to stop himself from slipping. "Is there an emergency?" He urgently asked. It was only natural he would assume there was an emergency, for him to be interrupted in such a way, it had to be a matter of life or death.

"Oh no, we have plenty of time to prepare before the Chunin exam begins. I just wanted to report what I fond." With that said the silver haired medical ninja and spy started giving Orochimaru a detailed report of his findings during his latest visit to the Hidden Leaf village.

Just when Orochimaru thought the situation couldn't get any stranger, the heater choose that precise moment in time to stop working. He could feel the water becoming colder by the second. It didn't take too long for it to reach an icy cold temperature that made the shower feel like a freezer. Orochimaru considered turning off the water, but then Kabuto would most likely ask him to go look at his reports or at the pictures he took at the Hidden Leaf village or something, since he was apparently done in the shower.

Kabuto was a good spy, he was a great spy. He took pride in his job and couldn't wait to inform his leader of his findings. His impatience, although usually not apparent in his facial expression, was always present. Even if what he had to say or ask was an unimportant detail that could wait, Kabuto had to speak right away. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he had to shape it into words or.

Still in the shower with the cold water raining above his head, Orochimaru was confused and annoyed. It was not the information that bothered him. According to what Kabuto was saying, everything was going according to plan, but why couldn't the spy wait until he was done to tell him all that?

"Orochimaru-sama, did you hear me? I asked what I should do next. Should I continue with the plan normally or would you like to change the course of action? I just thought I should ask for confirmation," Kabuto inquired.

"Kabuto... go away!" Orochimaru yelled, surprised that the so called elite spy had not caught the hint by now. Wasn't he supposed to be very perceptive? Was he just trying to be annoying? Well if being annoying was his goal he was certainly accomplishing it.

"Excuse me?" Kabuto pushed up his glasses even if they weren't falling off. It was another habit he had besides his impatience.

"Leave!" Orochimaru hated when his relaxation time was interrupted, and he even blamed Kabuto for jinxing the heater.

Kabuto shrugged, as if the conversation had been perfectly normal, "okay."

Event 08: Plastic Surgery

Kabuto quietly turned the page of his medical book, fully expecting to be interrupted any second. He heard footsteps outside his little research office and by the sound of them alone, he could tell this person was not just passing by. The one walking would stop at his door, he knew it. He was an excellent ninja and spy after all. He had to be very perceptive of his surroundings.

Judging by the sound of the footsteps and the rhythm they carried, the one heading towards the research office was not Orochimaru. Kabuto's accurate guess was that it must be Sasuke. His suspicions were confirmed when the Uchiha opened the door. Kabuto looked up from his reading. "May I help you?" He smiled like he always did, ever so carefree.

"I want to get plastic surgery," Sasuke informed, without wasting any time.

Kabuto blinked, Sasuke had certainly been direct in his request and he sounded serious about it, yet Kabuto did not understand. "What do you mean? Surely the cursed seal transformation should be enough."

Sasuke shook his head and took a seat across from Kabuto's cluttered desk. "It's not about power, it's about the way I look."

Sasuke's answer took Kabuto by surprise. He truly didn't understand. Sensing that the conversation could be a long one, Kabuto moved the many scrolls, notes and books to the sides of his desk, clearing a path of vision between him and Sasuke, so they could talk without having to look over the piles of research. "Why would you want that Sasuke?"

"I don't want to look like Itachi," Sasuke replied.

Kabuto paused. "Sasuke, do you remember when you came here and saw Orochimaru? He looked different because he had just switched bodies, remember?"

Sasuke nodded. He wasn't sure where Kabuto was going with all that.

"He asked me to perform plastic surgery on him to make him look like before. His face mask can be damaged in battle and he didn't want to put up with that. I did the surgery on his face and after that it was just a matter of growing out his hair and dying it black. However, don't you think he was better off with the new younger body?" Kabuto asked.

Sasuke wasn't sure what kind of trick question that was. "Orochimaru probably thinks looking creepy will give him an advantage in battle."

"Probably, but that's not the reason why he got plastic surgery," Kabuto revealed. "You see, he wanted to be recognized as Orochimaru. He wanted there to be no doubts of who he was when he got his revenge. He wanted his enemies to see the face of the Orochimaru they knew when they fell defeated. Isn't that what you want?"

Sasuke thought about it. Kabuto did have a good point. "Yes, I want Itachi to be defeated by me, Sasuke Uchiha. I want him to see the face of his younger brother, not the face of a stranger. I changed my mind; I don't want to get a plastic surgery after all. I'm going back to my training now."

Kabuto smiled, all it took was a little psychology to free himself from having to explain to Orochimaru why he changed the body he later planned to possess.

Event 09: Follow the Leader

Sakura stood there staring at her. Instead of compassion, she felt nothing but anger. Sakura was jealous. The girl standing before her had a perfectly well proportioned forehead that only served to make her face even more beautiful. No one would call that girl billboard brow. Her shiny black hair fell on the sides of her face framing and accentuating her beauty.

Sakura was pure envy, even if she kept telling herself that such thoughts were ridiculous. She looked into the girl's eyes. Endless pools of onyx that gave her an aura of mystery. She would surely attract the attention of all the boys. Not that she wanted to and surely they would back off when they realized who she was.

Sakura shook her head. Such terribly jealous thoughts did not belong in her mind. Still, her envy was consuming her, but why? What about her beloved Sasuke?

It all started when Naruto arrived to train as a girl. Recognizing him despite his female form, Sakura had asked where Sasuke was. Naruto only looked towards the raven haired beauty in response. Although that was her crush captured by a jutsu gone wrong, Sakura couldn't help it but to feel an outburst of jealousy. 'Sasuke makes a much prettier girl than me,' she thought.

"You're probably wondering how this happened right? Well you see Sasuke and I saw Kakashi-sensei and bushy brow's sensei playing rock paper scissors, so we decided that if they competed that way, we could too. Before the game we made a bet. The loser would have to play follow the leader with the winner for one day and do everything he did. I actually won two out of three. Instead of training until Sasuke couldn't keep up with me I decided to have some fun. If Sasuke did everything I did, he would relax and stop being such a grumpy shinobi. Since he was being cranky anyway, I decided to make things more challenging and used a jutsu to disguise myself as a girl. I thought Sasuke would be annoyed and refuse to do it, but he gave his word when we made that bet and a ninja never goes back on his word. He took it like a man and turned into a girl!" Naruto paused and admired the irony of his own words.

"Okay so that explains it. Change back Naruto, I don't want to see Sasuke like this." Sakura was supposed to feel sorry over Sasuke's predicament, not become a fireball of burning jealousy.

"Well that's just it. Neji saw us and flirted with Sasuke until he realized who he was. Neji got angry and said we shouldn't use jutsu like this and that we had to be more serious. He poked us, I thought it was weird, but later we realized that he didn't simply poke us, he pressed some pressure points so we'll be stuck like this for a while," Naruto explained.

Sakura twitched, "tell Kakashi sensei I'm not feeling well so I went home."

"You're not feeling well? Do you want me to walk you home?" Naruto asked.

"No, I'm fine by myself," Sakura left, twitching slightly with every step.

Poor Sasuke was stuck. Most people recognized Naruto, but Sasuke had to deal with the stares he got from the boys before they realized he was the same Uchiha who attended ninja academy with them, stuck in a magical disguise. When Ino had said hello, as Sasuke and Naruto were on their way to meet Kakashi, he was relieved thinking that someone actually recognized him. But soon Sasuke realized Ino had not recognized him and was only talking to 'her' because 'her' hair was "pretty and shiny" and Ino wanted to ask what shampoo 'she' used. That was certainly a day Sasuke would rather forget.

When Kakashi arrived, late as usual, and saw both Naruto and Sasuke as girls, he knew there had to be a funny story behind it.

Event 10: Spa Day

While their newest guest sat at the elegant lobby of the spa, waiting to be called, several girls in another room argued over who would provide that guest with a massage. The argument had been reduced to three girls, as the all other female workers of the large establishment had already been knocked out.

"It's my turn!" The blond insisted.

"Forget it, you had the hottie last time" The brown haired girl argued.

"No way, you got to choose the time after that," The blond replied.

"I want to choose this time," a black haired girl somewhat quietly joined in. "You two always get to choose, it's about time I got a turn."

"Enough of this!" The girl with brown hair spoke. "I'm definitely the one with enough tact to handle this situation."

"Tact?" The blond sarcastically laughed. "We all have a sense of tact and one that will be delighted to do this job."

While the arguments continued, the manager of the establishment apologized to the waiting guest and tried to keep him busy. "My apologies for the delay, one of our massage therapists will be here right away," the silver haired man glanced around nervously, hoping that his employees would make up their mind. He should have become a ninja but no, he had to listen when people kept telling him over and over that his face was too cute to hide under a ninja mask. Instead he jumped from one job to another, remaining unsatisfied each time and his current job was managing a spa. "So where did you hear about our services?"

"Snail mail spam," Itachi replied.

"Oh a flier, and why did you decide to come?" Kakashi asked. He heard the sound of glass breaking. It was all coming out of their salaries.

"Birthday," Itachi grew impatient.

The three girls finally arrived. Small cuts could be seen, their hair was a mess and surely the staff room walls were adored with kunais and shurikens all over. "Choose," the three spoke at the same time. Unable to come to a solution among themselves, they decided to let the customer decide.

"Why are you asking me, it's not my birthday?" Itachi clarified. "Kisame come out from behind that oversized plastic potted plant. This spa day will help you relax and I'm sure it'll do wonders for your skin." Kisame did not come out, so instead Itachi dragged him out.

"We're closed!" With that said, the three girls ran away.

"Come back here! We're not closed, don't leave the customer waiting!" Kakashi ran after them, that was definitely coming out of their pay.

"See? That's why I don't like massages, no one ever sticks around to give me one," Kisame pouted.

Itachi sighed, "I knew I should have gotten you that set of scented moisturizing lotions, then you won't be so scaly."

"Coming from someone who has wrinkles," Kisame retorted.

Itachi glared, "I do not have wrinkles!" Kisame looked amused, he didn't get his intended birthday gift, but picking on Itachi was just as good.

Event 11: Purple Rope

"Sasuke's hot and all, but that big purple rope has got to go." Karin did not realize that she was thinking aloud or that Shigetsu was standing right behind her.

"I thought it was strange looking too," Shigetsu agreed, startling Karin.

Karin jumped in surprise with a particularly expressive face, which revealed not only surprise, but a hint of annoyance. Surprisingly, the annoyance was directed more at herself than at Shigetsu. Her special ability allowed her to sense people and she didn't notice Shigetsu was right behind her.

"What?" Shigetsu asked with an adorable puzzled look.

'He conveniently ignored the part about Sasuke being hot,' Karin thought with relief. Clearing her throat and giving Shigetsu a nod of agreement she spoke, "we have to give him a new belt." She paused and a mischievous smiled graced her lips. "Shigetsu, why don't you take the rope away from Sasuke? You would be doing him a huge favor."

Shigetsu was unsure, "wouldn't he be mad?"

"Of course not, if anything he'll be grateful," Karin assured.

Shigetsu shrugged and nodded, "if you say so." He had to admit she was right, Sasuke should be grateful if someone saved him from the fashion disaster that was that big purple rope he dared to call a belt. With all the good intentions of helping his companion, Shigetsu snuck up on the unsuspecting Uchiha and pulled the rope off.

For a split second Shigetsu looked satisfied that he had helped Sasuke. Then his expression changed to worry, he was in big trouble. That rope was not a mere decoration, it was a necessity and without it Sasuke's pants fell down.

The very angry Uchiha pulled up his pants and glared at Karin, who was twitching from holding back laughter, surely she had something to do with this. Sasuke then moved his burning glare towards Shigetsu, who stood there mumbling incoherently as he tried to explain that he was innocent and it was all Karin's fault, not matter how guilty the situation made him look.

Time froze for a moment until Karin was unable to contain her laughter. The explosion of laughs was Shigetsu's cue and without a second to spare, he ran for dear life while Sasuke chased after him, holding his pants, trying to recover his much needed purple rope.

Event 12: Ninja Voice

"Kabuto!" Tayuya noisily made her way towards the Hidden Sound Village doctor's quarters. Somebody had stolen something precious to her and he was her main suspect. She caught him eyeing her delicious caramel filled chocolate bon-bons earlier and made it quite clear that they were not for him. Apparently he didn't get the message.

Tayuya finally reached his door and knocked with all her might. "Open the door!" She let a stream of colorful curses loudly flow and continued her insistent knocking. "Kabuto, open this door right now!"

Orochimaru walked by rubbing his temples and as he did, Tayuya once again loudly cursed Kabuto, his ancestry and future descendants alike. The snake sannin cringed at the sound of the girl's angry voice and tried to focus on making his head stop throbbing, which wasn't working.

"Ka-"

"Shut up!"

Tayuya jumped and turned to face the Sound Village leader. He looked just about ready to kill.

Orochimaru approached and Tayuya quickly stood aside. He straightened up and proceeded to gently knock on the door. "Kabuto, I need some medicine for my headache."

Not even a full minute had passed when the door opened just enough for a hand to fit. Kabuto's hand held some little white pills, which Orochimaru took. The hand disappeared behind the door and it was once again closed.

Orochimaru impatiently tapped his foot and glared at the little white pills. Incompetence was making his headache even worse. "Where's the water?" He finally asked.

While Kabuto as very tempted to tell Orochimaru to get it himself, he was a smart young man and as such he knew it was in his best interest not to make the snake summoner more upset than he already was. Once again the door opened slightly and the doctor's hand returned, this time holding a glass of water.

Satisfied with the service, Orochimaru put the two little pills in his mouth and swallowed them with some help from the water. He certainly hoped that medicine worked fast. "What is this medicine anyway? Is it something new that you developed especially for me?"

"It's aspirin," came Kabuto's voice from behind the door.

Orochimaru's golden eyes revealed surprise, as he stared at the door as if it grew a second, well, as if it grew a second door knob. Visibly offended, the sannin made an undignified sounding "hmp", threw his head back and walked off.

Tayuya blinked, was Orochimaru expecting something fancy and custom made just for a headache? She was taken out of her thoughts when the door once again slightly opened but this time not a hand but a head emerged.

The silver haired medic ninja had decided to see if the coast was clear. He was peeking out only slightly with most of his face still behind the door. When he saw Tayuya, he retreated immediately and shut the door with the sound of a lock echoing in the silence of the underground hideout.

"Kabuto!" Tayuya screamed loud enough for the entire Hidden Sound Village to head her. 'Oh, oh, oh,' went the echo of her voice in the dark tunnels.

"Shut up!" 'Up, up, up,' Orochimaru's voice came in response.

Tayuya decided that she'd best continue her investigation and accusations quietly. "Kabuto, I know you're there and I know you can hear me. Open the door this instant or I'm knocking it down."

"I can't do that Tayuya," Kabuto in a quiet voice. "Because if I do, you'll try to steal my kisses."

Tayuya blushed a bright scarlet, not only because of the embarrassment caused by Kabuto, but also because of her burning anger. As soon as she recovered from the shock, she started banging on the door and screaming like a mad woman. "Open the door this instant! I want my caramel filled chocolate bon-bons that you stole! I don't want your-"

"Shut up!" 'Up, up, up,' Orochimaru's threatening voice echoed once again and everyone in the Hidden Sound Village fell silent at least for a few seconds.

"Bon-bons? Caramel filled chocolate bon-bons?" Kabuto's puzzled, but still attractive, voice was heard.

Tayuya backed away from the door. "Yes, my bon-bons that you stole!" She spoke loud enough for Kabuto to hear, but not loud enough for the sound to reach Orochimaru.

"I don't have any bon-bons, I'm just eating some kisses and didn't want Orochimaru to find out, because he'll steal them for himself. He never listens when I tell him that a man of his old age needs to cut down on the sweets." She didn't know why but Kabuto's voice was getting on Tayuya's nerves, regardless of how nice it sounded.

"Oh, okay, I'll take your word for it." The orange haired girl ran off, she didn't want to hear that handsome voice anymore or it would drive her insane.

Kabuto waited and listened closely to the footsteps becoming further away, until he could no longer hear them. He peeked out and realized that Tayuya was in fact gone. It wasn't like he was lying; he really didn't take her bon-bons. After all, he was perfectly capable of getting his own chocolate. Kabuto shrugged and returned to his previous task of devouring twenty-five bags of chocolate kisses.

Disappointed, creeped out and chocolate-less, Tayuya made her way back to her room. As she walked down the tunnels she saw Kin heading in the opposite direction. "What's wrong? You look kind of flustered."

Tayuya tried to look as if she had no idea what Kin was talking about. "It must be my cheeks turning red from all the exercise I got."

Kin shrugged, "if you say so." Each girl then continued on her way towards their respective destinations.

Meanwhile. Kimimaro was in his room pretending to be asleep but actually enjoying one of the best things life had to offer. "These caramel filling chocolate bon-bons are the best!"

Event 13: Temper

"Orochimaru, you said you would teach me that jutsu today," Sasuke reminded. Orochimaru did not reply but continued walking. The Uchiha followed him, "Orochimaru, the jutsu you were going to teach me, did you forget?" He sounded angry and annoyed.

"You sound like a little boy complaining because he didn't get the new toy he was promised." Orochimaru continued ignoring his angry apprentice and kept on walking at a steady pace, not too fast and not too slow.

"Teach me the jutsu!" Sasuke screamed impatiently. Orochimaru appeared to grin, amused by Sasuke's annoyance. The Uchiha noticed and was not pleased by the sannin's attitude. He rushed to stand in front of Orochimaru blocking his path. "Let's go train, now!" Sasuke glared at Orochimaru with sharangin eyes.

Orochimaru shook his head, "horgive me Sasuke." He pushed the boy away by the forehead, he didn't like that sharingan glare and he wouldn't like it until it was his. "Tomorrow, I'm busy today." Though his words were bathed in sarcasm, Orochimaru did not know how ironic his speech had been. Sasuke paused; he looked frozen, as if he was reliving certain events in his mind. With a killer look in his eyes, he attacked Orochimaru. "I told you I can't train you today." Orochimaru yelled, blocking the relentless attack.

"I'm going to kill you for that! Never say forgive me Sasuke and poke me on the forehead. Never do that!" Sasuke yelled angrily.

In another room Kabuto waited while going over his notes. "I wonder what's keeping Orochimaru. He said he had to discuss some things urgently." The echo of an angry voice reached his ears. "Another temper tantrum, this may take a while." Although he smiled and appeared indifferent, Kabuto knew that after Orochimaru and Sasuke were done training, he would have to be the one to find a miraculous solution to the ensuing injuries.

Event 14: A Nice Scent

Naruto sniffed himself, which caused Sasuke to give him an odd look. The blond then retrieved a small bottle containing blue liquid from his ninja utility bag and sprayed a generous portion of the substance all over his body. Then he proceeded to sniff himself again from different angles, twisting his body with amazing flexibility.

Not satisfied yet, Naruto sprayed himself once again and took an intoxicating deep breath. Finally satisfied and with only a small portion of the blue cologne left in the bottle, Naruto smiled proudly. This scent would certainly get Sakura's attention.

The holder of the nine tailed fox looked over at Sasuke, who was now covering his nose while glaring at him. Naruto smiled and extended his hand, holding out the nearly empty bottle of cologne for his comrade to take. "Want some?"

Sasuke's already deadly glare intensified, "no."

Naruto frowned, "aw c'mon Sasuke!" He just wanted to be friends with the other boy, but Sasuke wouldn't open up. He had spent nearly all his savings on that special cologne and he was willing to share it with the Uchiha. What an ingrate that Sasuke was. Or maybe he was just shy; Naruto smiled. "It's okay, I don't mind sharing it with you, go ahead."

"No!" Sasuke growled in annoyance. "I don't want to wear that stinky stuff." Throwing his head back in indignation, the Uchiha turned his back on Naruto and began to walk away in a desperate search for some fresh air to breathe, away from Naruto and the ever present smell of his cologne.

Naruto scoffed and crossed his arms as he watched the other boy walk away. They were supposed to be meeting Kakashi-sensei at the training grounds, but the jonin had not yet arrived. Sakura, who guessed their teacher would be late again, decided to take a little time for herself that morning, since she would be fine as long a she still arrived before Kakashi did.

With renewed determination, stirring possibly from boredom, Naruto continued his task to share his cologne with Sasuke in a sign of true friendship. But the other boy had already refused twice, so this time Naruto took on a different approach towards the dilemma by sneaking up on Sasuke and spraying what was left of the cologne on him.

"Idiot!" Sasuke was about to show Naruto that no one sprayed smelly colognes on an Uchiha and got away with it, but before he could, a loud fangirlish voice interrupted.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun!" Sakura squealed.

"Good morning Sakura-chan!" Naruto enthusiastically greeted her.

"Oh, hi Naruto," Sakura did not sound quite as exited. A peculiar scent reached her nose and she had to ask about it. "What's that smell?"

Thinking that she liked the scent, Naruto smiled proudly, "it's me!"

"Gross! Don't you ever take a bath?" Sakura waved her hand and covered her nose, while Naruto looked very disappointed. "Why can't you follow Sasuke-kun's example? He always smells so nice, especially today. Are you wearing a new cologne Sasuke-kun?"

Naruto's jaw nearly hit the ground and Sasuke looked very annoyed.

Event 15: Raspberries

Jiraiya was sent crashing to a tree after angering Tsunade. The white haired child dusted himself off and with a frown he tried to pretend that hasn't hurt. As if to save what he had left of his broken pride, he stuck his tongue out at the blond girl.

Tsunade made an angry pouty face that told him she would not allow him to mock her. She too showed him her tongue and it became a childish battle of who could blow more raspberries.

Then a third child joined them, the boy had dark hair and golden eyes. He was usually very quiet and kept to himself, so he didn't have any friends at the ninja academy. He shyly approached the other two and observed what they were doing.

"What do you want?" Little Jiraiya and Tsunade asked as the same time.

Little Orochimaru smiled, or grinned as close as he could get to a smile. "Can I play?" Before the other two had the chance to reply, the pale child stuck out his extremely long tongue.

In conclusion, some kids are more mischievous than an average child, some kids are stronger than an average child and some kids are just plain weird.

Event 16: Go

"Go..."

Shikamaru was woken up by the voice. It was one of his classmates, Naru... Naru... Naru-something or other. Shikamaru thought it was troublesome to try to remember. He remembered his best friend Chouji's name. He remembered Ino because she was too loud to forget and he remembered Iruka because he was the teacher. Those were enough people to remember from the ninja academy. But maybe this guy, even if everyone seemed to avoid him for some unknown reason, wasn't so bad. He seemed to like Go after all. Maybe the blond boy could be friends with Shikamaru and Chouji.

"Go..."

"I want to play Go too, this class is so boring." Shikamaru spoke for the first time to the blond boy sitting near by.

The spiky blond head turned to look at Shikamaru with blue eyes that revealed distress. "That sounds like fun but I'm not... I have to..." That was it! Naruto jumped from his seat and dashed to the door. "Iruka-sensei, I have to go!"

"Naruto wait!" It was too late; the boy had already dashed off to the restroom. "Why didn't he just say he needed to use the bathroom?" Iruka shrugged, Naruto would return soon enough. "Alright everyone, pay attention let's continue the lesson."

Shikamaru sighed, he thought he found another opponent to beat at Go, but it was just some kid who drank too much juice during recess. "How troublesome..."

Event 17: Being Water Isn't Easy

Shigetsu's Point of View

Having the ability to turn into water might look useful, and it is, but it's not always beneficial. Just try to picture it, a small child finds a kitten and picks it up. The kid likes the cat, the cat likes the kid, it all seems perfect, right? But it all goes wrong when the boy hugs the kitten and drowns him. Then the poor child ends up literally falling to pieces through his tears. Traumatic isn't it?

That was a long time ago and I've learned to control this ability, but it's not nice when you're trying to sleep and someone stomps on you because they decided to be childish and jump on the puddle. I was dreaming and my control slipped, then I received that rude awakening from Yuugo and had to put up with Kari's literally wet dream jokes.

All of that was traumatic really, but the experience that takes the cake has to be that one time I was taking a bath, minding my own business, when Sasuke assumes that the tub is only filled with regular water and jumps in. I thought I outsmarted Sasuke by getting to the bathroom of the apartment he, Yuugo, Kari and I first, because he always takes forever in the bathroom, but I forgot to lock the door.

While we screamed and splashed in surprise, both of us caught off guard by the accident, Karin found out about it and never let us forget it. I'm Shigetsu and let me tell you, being water isn't easy.

End POV

Disclaimer, I don't own Naruto, Hershey's kisses or aspirin. Event 07 is based on chapter 198 of the manga but the story takes place before that. Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto. Special thanks to Xinda for the idea for Event 12. Event 13 was based on Chapter 301 of the manga, where it looks like Oro doesn't want to deal with Sasuke's bad mood, and on the chapters with Sasuke and Itachi's past. 


	6. Event 18

As you might have noticed, I've been revising all my stories recently but this one is actually a new one! This is my first fanfic with this pairing, I know it's a bit unusual but I think it's cute.

Forgotten Events

Event 18: Hinata's Diary (SasukexHinata)

Hinata's Point of View

"If you still care about him that way, you should just be honest about it!"

"No... I... um..." I'm at a loss for words as usual, but before he leaves, I call out, "wait! Please read this, don't go!" I rush to my room and return with my diary. "From this page..." I open it up and hand it to him. I can't push the words out, but they have already been written and I must explain this to him somehow.

xoxox xox xoxox

Wednesday, September 16, 20XX

We had a special training exercise today. It was a sort of scavenger hunt that's supposed to teach us to collect information and learn to tell the difference between real information and a false lead. Many people were instructed to give us clues about the items we were searching for, but not all the clues were real.

For this training, we were placed in pairs instead of our usual teams of three. We are all ninja of the Leaf Village and we must communicate and cooperate with each other, even if we're not used to working with each other because we're from different teams. Communication has never been my strong point, even with the teammates I see nearly every day.

I was paired up with Sasuke. I know he's a skilled ninja so I was relieved, but I was also scared that my lack of ability might be that much more obvious. Sasuke was quiet at first when we walked through the streets looking for clues, but then he started talking to me about a lot of things and I relaxed. He seems cold at first glance, but I think he's actually really nice.

Sasuke and I found all the items for the scavenger hunt first. I told him it was because he was a good ninja, but he said I did a lot of the work too. It made me really happy that I was able to contribute to our team. Even more, I am happy that I got to know Sasuke a little.

Friday, September 18, 20XX

Sasuke came by this evening and we talked for a while in the yard. We talked about a lot of things, but nothing really stood out. I'm not sure why he wanted to talk to me, but it was nice. I agreed to meet him for lunch tomorrow.

Saturday, September 19, 20XX

I went to lunch with Sasuke then we walked around during the afternoon and went to the park. It was a lot of fun, Sasuke is really nice. I'm always shy, but he made me feel comfortable. I'm very happy I can be his friend and I'm looking forward to tomorrow, Sasuke asked me to meet him for dinner.

Sunday, September 20, 20XX

I'm so confused right now! Today at dinner, Sasuke said he liked me. I didn't know what to say so I stammered and asked him about Sakura and Ino. He said he didn't like either of them that way and also told me Ino likes Shikamaru, I never noticed before. I guess I couldn't notice who other people liked when I was so wrapped up in my own feelings, I certainly didn't notice that Sasuke liked me.

Sasuke has other girls who like him; I've always known that, so I decided that he was out of reach. I have never heard anyone confess her feelings for Naruto, so I always thought he was available. Besides, Naruto always tries so hard no matter what people say and that gives me hope.

I couldn't reply to Sasuke and he said it was okay. He said I should take time to sort my feelings. I'm going to talk to Naruto and find out how deep my feelings are and if they're really worth confessing. I don't want to hurt Sasuke, but I don't want to lie to him and I don't want to keep him waiting for too long.

Tuesday, September 22, 20XX

After going around in circles on Monday and losing my courage when ever I saw Naruto, today I finally talked to him. I couldn't tell him I liked him, but I managed to ask him to dinner tomorrow. He asked if we could go for ramen and was really happy when I agreed, that made me smile.

Wednesday, September 23, 20XX

Today Naruto and I had ramen together for dinner. I had fun, Naruto is really carefree and relaxed, but I was nervous. I don't think Naruto understood, I hope he didn't get the wrong impression and think I didn't want to be with him.

I was going to tell Naruto how I felt and find out if he was willing to accept me, but I didn't. I kept spacing out and remembering my time with Sasuke. Even so, I think things went well. I'm sure Naruto only thought of it as a dinner between friends and that's what it ended up being.

Thursday, September 24, 20XX

I had a strange dream last night. I was training somewhere; I think it was in the village. There was a lot of grass, the skies were clear and there was a tree near by. From the corner of my eyes I saw Sasuke behind the tree and wondered if he had something to say. I wanted to go over to him, to say something, or at least look at him directly, but I didn't. I just kept training and he stayed behind the tree the entire time.

This is really strange. I've had dreams like this before, but usually Naruto is training and I'm the one behind the tree. Does this mean that Sasuke has been watching me for some time and I never noticed? I don't mean to make him go through what I'm going through keeping my feelings bottled up. I need to sort things out soon.

Friday, September 25, 20XX

I didn't go to training today because I wasn't feeling well. Physically I'm fine, but emotionally I'm not. I'm still very confused and didn't want to face anyone. I feel terrible. All the teams were supposed to be training together and Sasuke must have noticed I wasn't there. He must think I'm avoiding him. Okay, I am avoiding him, but it's just because I don't want anyone to be hurt.

I guess that's why I first labeled Sasuke as impossible. He already had other girls who liked him, so I thought I wouldn't stand a chance. I also didn't want to make an enemy out of anyone, if by some miracle I did stand a chance. Naruto wasn't only available, but he's also a great guy, not that Sasuke isn't.

I really have fun with Naruto; he's so funny, carefree and has a strong will. But now that I think about it, Sasuke is really a hard worker too. He's really skilled and all, but I'm sure that doesn't come as easy as most people think. Being the last Uchiha, Sasuke must be under a lot of pressure. I never realized how hard things must be for Sasuke, he really is admirable.

Saturday, September 26, 20XX

Neji told me that Sasuke was in the Hyuga compound asking about me. Neji offered to let Sasuke in, but Sasuke refused and just asked Neji to tell me to "get well soon."

I can't stop thinking about Sasuke. I realized I overlooked him because I thought he was out of my league. I also came to realize that he is very admirable and kind. I admit that Naruto is easy to notice and he is a great friend, but I know now that's all I feel for him, friendship and admiration. I miss my conversations with Sasuke and his nice attentions. I think I have feelings for Sasuke, but I want to be sure, so I'll really think about it.

Monday, September 28, 20XX

I've thought about this until my head hurts and I really do have feelings for Sasuke. For Naruto I feel friendship and admiration, but I have a crush on Sasuke. It feels like I've kept this bottled up and just recently realized it. I've always marked Sasuke as unavailable in my mind and now that I know he is available, every emotion came rushing out.

I need to tell Sasuke how I feel, but I wonder if I'm too late. I avoided him for days and he might think I don't like him. I can't get myself to talk to him, so I'll write him a letter explaining everything. Talking has always been my weak point, but at least with a letter I can take my time and rewrite it until it's perfect. I'll try to give the letter to Sasuke, and if my confidence fails me, I'll ask Naruto to give it to him, I'm sure he won't mind.

Tuesday, September 29, 20XX

I lost my courage and asked Naruto to deliver the letter to Sasuke. Naruto gave me a knowing smile and I felt that he could read me like a book; I was right. Naruto said he recently found out Sasuke likes me and that Sasuke won't admit it but he knew.

I hope

xoxox xox xoxox

The last entry is unfinished because he arrived when I was writing it and I rushed to see him. He closes the diary and looks at me. "The letter was for me?" I nod and he laughs. "So that's what Naruto was trying to tell me. I didn't know and kept telling him to go away."

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, I should have said something sooner. Is it too late?"

"You don't have to apologize, I'm glad you took your time to be sure of your feelings," Sasuke smiled at me, "and it's not too late."

End of Event 18

Disclaimer, I don't own Naruto. 


	7. Events 19 to 21

Forgotten Events

**Event 19: The New Uchiha Clan **(SasukexSakura, NarutoxHinata)

Sasuke Uchiha stood alone by a cliff just outside the Hidden Leaf Village. He stared off into the distance, there was an ocean of trees as far as the eye could see, or at least normal eyes.

"There he is!" That voice belonged to Naruto. Sasuke's rival, but also one of his best friends.

"Sasuke!" He recognized that voice too. It was Sakura his childhood friend and fan girl, the girl who, years later, was still obsessed with him.

He didn't turn as they quickly approached and stopped, standing right behind him left and right. "Why do you keep running off like that?" Naruto was annoyed.

"I have things to think about," Sasuke stared at the horizon.

"What things?" Sakura asked.

"Things that are no one's business but my own," Sasuke answered. Sakura looked down as if she regretted asking that question. She didn't want Sasuke to think of her as a fan girl who didn't respect his privacy. She tried not to look that way, but sometimes it's how it came out. Still, she cared for him deeply and she was certain he knew that.

"That's not how things works we're a team! Believe it!" Naruto insisted. Sasuke smiled lightly, that bone head Naruto could sure be annoying some times but he meant well.

"Naruto's right," Sakura agreed, "for once," she added in a humorous tone.

Before Naruto could complain, someone else arrived at the scene. "Naruto," a young woman named Hinata called softly.

"Hi Hinata!" Naruto greeted cheerfully. She was still a bit strange in his opinion and every day he wondered why. Even so, he was taking a liking to her.

"Naruto, I wanted to ask if... If you want to..." Her tone of voice became quieter with every word, until no one could hear what Hinata was saying.

"What is it Hinata?" Naruto asked.

Hinata blushed, "nothing." She turned around to leave and started to walk away.

With the speed of a ninja, Naruto caught up to Hinata and stood in her way. "I know you had something to say. Don't be shy Hinata; we've known each other for years. If there's something on your mind just say it. I'll understand."

Hinata considered leaving quickly, but decided against it. She took a deep breath, it was now or never. "You would like to... I mean, if you want to... I'll understand if you don't..." Her voice turned softer with every word, until once again it was inaudible. Hinata stopped, she was blushing even more.

Naruto's face was quite close to hers, as he made an effort to hear her whispered words. "You have to speak up Hinata."

Hinata nodded, becoming a little uncomfortable. She had full intentions of asking Naruto on a date as soon as she found where he went, but when she did find him with his team, her determination left her. That always happened when she was around him. She was shy, but even more around Naruto than she was around everyone else, "sorry."

"It's okay," this time Naruto was determined to find out what Hinata had to say. He noticed she was trying to tell him something, but couldn't quite get it out. He was becoming curious about what it could be. "You can whisper it to my ear if that makes you feel better."

Hinata blushed even more but nodded. "Okay," she was now inches away from Naruto's ear as he waited for her to say what she had been meaning to say for a long time. Finally, Hinata let it all out of her system and breathing deeply she said what she had come to say. "Naruto, do you want to go on a date with me?" Hinata screamed into Naruto's ear. She didn't mean for it to come out so loud, it just did. It was as if her tone of voice refused to do what she wanted when she was around him.

Naruto was taken by surprise by the scream in his ear and not just that, but because of what Hinata asked. "You want to go out with me?" Naruto asked through the ringing in his ears.

Hinata nodded shyly. "If you want to and if you're not too busy, we could go out for ramen." The last part came out as a very soft whisper.

Despite the rigging in his ears, Naruto was able to catch that last word. "Alright, let's go!" He looked at Sasuke and Sakura who were watching the scene. "I'll see you two later."

Sakura sighed happily, "how romantic..." She looked at Sasuke and realized he was once again staring at the trees below the cliff. The entire area was covered in a dense forest. "Sasuke you've been really quiet and distant since..." Sakura stopped there, she wasn't sure saying it was the best idea.

"Since Itachi?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura nodded. "You won, you reached your dream."

"Only half of it," Sasuke clarified.

Sakura's mind returned to that day in which they introduced themselves and said what their dreams for the future were. "To restore the Uchiha clan," Sakura recalled.

"Yes," Sasuke wasn't sure where to start. Was such a dream possible?

Sakura wished she could help, but she didn't know how. Offering her support was the next best thing, she hugged Sasuke. "I wish I could help. If there's anything I can do let me know."

"Sakura..."

"I know, you don't want my help. You'd rather have Naruto help you," Sakura sounded disappointed.

Sasuke shook his head, "no, I most certainly do not want Naruto helping me."

"I guess you would rather do things alone. But you know, there are certain things that can't be done alone." Sakura wasn't sure why she said it that way. Perhaps it was the only thing she could think of saying. She didn't know how right she was.

Sasuke thought of a solution to his problem of how to restore the Uchiha clan. "Would you like to help me restore the Uchiha clan?"

"Yes!" Sakura didn't even wait for him to finish explaining.

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Years later, a pink haired woman held a child in her arms. She sang a lullaby and the boy slowly fell asleep. Next to her, her husband held an identical child. The twins who looked a lot like their father fell asleep nearly at the same time. The babies were placed in the crib and the parents quietly left the room.

Sakura and Sasuke were now married and things were going well for them. Naruto and Hinata were also married. Sakura imagined the future in a few years. A miniature Hinata and a miniature Naruto playing with three small Sakuras and four little Sasukes. Maybe seven kids were too many to have in five years of marriage but they weren't all born one by one, some were twins. Besides, Sakura always dreamed about marring Sasuke and having a family with him, so she had no complains and neither did he.

Seven little Uchihas, it was the start of the new Uchiha clan.

End of Event 19

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**Event 20: Limbo**

Shikamaru didn't know who came up with the idea of a limbo contest, but he suspected it had been Naruto. The blond ninja was most certainly hyper about the limbo contest. Then again, he was hyper about everything, as opposed to Shikamaru.

Sakura and Ino had turned the event that was only meant for fun into another competition. They stretched and did their warm up exercises, as if the limbo contest was a fight for their very survival.

Near by, Sasuke Uchiha stood under the shade of a tree, resting his back against it, looking rather bored and partially annoyed. Naruto bounced around near the Uchiha, trying to get him excited about the limbo contest to no avail.

One who certainly was excited about the contest and almost as energetic as Naruto, was Rock Lee. This was his chance to prove that his hard work had paid off and a chance to show off for Sakura. Being a tai-jutsu specialist, his body was flexible and well trained for a challenge such as a limbo contest.

Neji didn't look too happy about the contest, but not truly annoyed either, just slightly. His expression was similar to that of Sasuke except, he was relieved to report that there was no hyperactive knuckle head bouncing around near him, trying to get him in a limbo mood.

Tenten seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere with everyone gathered together for the limbo contest and picnic. She had an over all positive attitude about it. She wasn't feeling particularly competitive, but she would try her best and focus on fun.

Chouji was another story. He most definitely did not want to be there for the limbo contest, but he couldn't refuse the picnic. He was fine with having a friendly gathering, even better because each team had brought plenty of snacks for later, but he definitely didn't like limbo contests. He wasn't fat, oh no, just a little chubby, but that was enough to ruin the game for him. He sat near his best friend Shikamaru, eating chips.

Kiba and Akamaru were rather cheerful that day, running around playing while they waited for the contest to start. Hinata stood at the other side of the tree Sasuke was leaning against, sneaking glances at Naruto as he annoyed the Uchiha. Shino had chosen another tree to stand against and there he stood quietly, seemingly unnoticed by everyone else.

Asuma and Kurenai were setting up some the picnic with the snacks that would be consumed after the limbo contest. Kakashi and Gai were apparently testing the limbo equipment by having a mini contest of their own.

After it was all set up, the genin lined up for the contest. Naruto, hyper as he was, just had to go first. His hyperness finally got to Sasuke, who decided to make a personal contest between him and Naruto out of the limbo contest and soon followed, clearing the first stage with ease. With Uzumaki and Uchiha looking to prove which of the two was better at limbo, the contest became more interesting.

Next came another rivalry, Sakura and Ino were also competing specifically against each other in that contest. Hinata cleared the first round as well and blushed like a tomato when Naruto gave her a friendly congratulation. Kiba cleared the round, followed by Akamaru. Needless to say a puppy doing the limbo was one of the cutest and funniest things they had ever seen.

Neji and Shino finished without too much fuss. While Tenten went into a laughing fit after her turn, she was definitely having fun. Lee made a determined pose before trying to limbo and a victory pose after.

Chouji wanted to delay his suffering as much as possible so he pushed Shikamaru into going first. The lazy ninja stumbled forward towards the limbo bar only to bend backwards at the last second. It was a close call, but he passed. Then it was inevitably Chouji's turn and somehow he managed to squeeze through round one.

The second round passed in a similar fashion except Chouji was eliminated. One after the other, the ninja fell, not for lack of skill or space, but usually because they tried so hard, that the smallest distraction made their concentration shatter. Lee had been an example of this. He was almost through when Sakura decided to be nice and cheer for him with all the good intentions in the world. Ultimately that was what doomed him as he felt the uncontrollable subconscious need to respond to Sakura's cheering with a knightly pose, which made him knock down the limbo bar.

Though Sasuke wouldn't admit it, never ever in a million years, he was actually having fun. It came to the point where he actually smiled. Both Sakura and Ino were under the limbo bar at the time, as they couldn't agree on who would go first and though they tried to blame it on the other, they both touched the bar and they were both eliminated.

Following the subject of trying too hard, a similar situation occurred with Naruto and Sasuke. They seemed to be doing just fine getting across the limbo area at the same time. The pole was long enough so two or three people could limbo at the same time. But their limbo came to an end when a square rock that was mysteriously sitting in front of the limbo area, suddenly turned into a young woman covered only by clouds of white smoke. Konohamaru's jutsu successfully distracted both the Uzumaki and the Uchiha, though the second would never admit it. With their concentration broken into itty bitty pieces, the two boys lost their balance and the contest. Soon after, Sasuke returned to the tree were he was leaning before with a rather unsatisfied expression, while Naruto chased Konohamaru all over the grassy fields.

This left Shikamaru, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Neji and Tenten as the remaining limbo contestants who were yet to be caught by the limbo pole. Hinata suffered a similar fate as previous contestants. After Naruto had caught Konohamaru and taught him a lesson, that is to say, properly demonstrated the how to make the girl jutsu look really good, at the exact moment when Ebisu showed up looking for the Hokage's grandson, Naruto and Konohamaru returned to watch the limbo contest. As Hinata had her turn Naruto again, with all the good intentions in the world, decided to cheer for her, which caused her to blush brightly and lose her balance, falling backwards into the ground.

Shino found himself at a tough choice. He was doing well, but then noticed a little bug in his path. He certainly didn't want to step on it, but the stubborn suicidal bug wouldn't move out of the way and he was getting tired of standing there in such an awkward position bent backwards. Ultimately, Shino tired walking sideways under the limbo pole to avoid the bug and that was what cost him his balance.

Neji was getting a little tired of doing such 'trivial things' and it didn't help that Tenten was trying to get him to admit that he was having fun. He got into such a stubborn mood; he wasn't sure if he should quit to prove her wrong or win to prove how trivial limbo really was. In the end, he lost his balance when Tenten started chanting "limbo Neji, limbo," and got everyone else to join the annoying chant. That girl was definitely having way too much fun today. Suddenly Neji felt a sense of understanding for his cousin Hinata, maybe the embarrassment he felt when everyone suddenly started chanting, was similar to how she felt around Naruto, though the cause was obviously different.

With most of the contestants eliminated, only Shikamaru, Kiba and Tenten were left. Kakashi was drowning his sorrows of having his entire team eliminated by eating cookies and reading Icha Icha Paradise, though he really didn't really look all that sad, he was enjoying the afternoon.

Asuma and Kurenai were flirting, or as they said, having a friendly conversation and Gai was cheering for Tenten and trying to give her advice, while she completely ignored him in favor of relaxing and having fun.

Kiba was doing alright until Akamaru decided that he wanted some picnic food too. Kiba's instincts kicked in and in perfect sync he mimicked Akamaru's movements. That was not a good idea because Akamaru was small enough to pass under the pole in puppy form, but Kiba was not.

That only left Shikamaru and Tenten as the finalists. Shikamaru was feeling lazy as usual, but they made him limbo anyway. As he bent backwards as much as he could, he caught sight of the fluffy white clouds flying in the clear blue skies above so carefree. He really liked to watch the clouds, it was so relaxing he let himself go and dozed off right there.

"Shikamaru was eliminated. Alright Tenten, one more victory and you win!" Gai cheered.

"It doesn't matter; I'm in it just for fun, Gai-sensei!" Tenten replied.

"Well yes, of course, but you'll try your best right?" Gai asked.

"I guess so. Okay, Shikamaru it's my turn... Hey Shikamaru?" Tenten poked him but Shikamaru didn't move. "He's sleeping."

"The contest must go on!" Gai insisted.

"We'll have to move the pole or Shikamaru," Naruto analyzed the situation.

"Or both!" Konohamaru added.

"I'll help!" Rock Lee declared with a determined pose and held up the pole.

Naruto pulled Shikamaru out and delivered him to Ino, who had joined Chouji around their team's picnic basket, though her appetite was no where near as big as his. "Delivery!"

"Thanks, I think," Ino replied. Shikamaru looked quite peaceful sleeping. Maybe it was best not to take these contests too seriously.

From the beginning, Tenten was focused on simply having fun and didn't care too much about winning the limbo contest. Sure she would try her best, but fun would still be her main focus and it was that which brought her victory in the end.

End of Event 20

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**Event 21: Sound Ninja's Day Off**

For being it the Sound Village, it was rather silent, save for the quiet sounds of a teenager whistling while he cleaned a strange machine. Kabuto took a step back and admired his work. The green and black contraption was spotless, just the way he liked it. He picked up the cleaning supplies and bucket, and tidied up, putting each item away where it belonged, it bother him when things were not organized.

"What the hack is that?" It bothered him even more when people didn't mind their own business. Tayuya stood before his precious machine, staring at it as if it was a rare bug.

"This is mine," Kabuto made sure to establish ownership over the machine, hinting that she was not allowed to touch it.

"That doesn't explain what the fudge it is," Tayuya once again stated her question.

Shaking his head hopelessly, Kabuto replied, "it's a jeep."

Tayuya blinked in obvious confusion, "and a jeep would be?"

"A type of car," before she asked what a car was, Kabuto explained "a car is something you ride in."

Tayuya raised an eyebrow. "There are no horses here."

"It doesn't require horses to move, it runs on gas," Kabuto did not like Tayuya's expression, it was filled with curiosity and determination.

"Let's see it work then," the orange haired girl hopped in the back of the jeep and stood with an impatient look, waiting for Kabuto to activate it.

"Fine, but only once around the hideout," the silver haired young man sat behind the wheel and retrieved a small silver key from his pocket, with a musical note keychain attached. After inserting the key in the ignition, he turned it and like magic, the motor started emitting a purr-like sound and the jeep softly vibrated. "Hold on to something."

"Why?" Tayuya's question was soon answered when Kabuto stepped on the gas as an amused grin appeared in his face. Tayuya fell in a sitting position on the back of the jeep and with a few colorful words, she once again hopped to her feet.

The jeep moved through the tunnels with amazing speed, finally reaching the surface. The wind, the speed, it was all heaven for Tayuya. It ended too soon, when Kabuto stopped once again at the entrance to the tunnels. "That was twice around the hideout, time to get off."

"I want to use it!" Tayuya nearly squealed in a very uncharacteristic way.

"You don't know how to drive, besides, I need it," Kabuto knew, he simply knew, from the second Tayuya found his jeep, that his trip would be ruined.

"Don't be so fudging greedy, there's enough room in this thing for four people, so we can both ride it," Tayuya insisted.

Kabuto sighed, his afternoon was ruined, or maybe not? "I'm not going to spend the afternoon driving around the hideout. I was planning to go the next town while Orochimaru is distracted."

"What's up with him anyway? He's been locked in his room for days and won't let anyone in," Tayuya asked.

"Why would you want to try to go in there?" Kabuto had a suspicious smirk.

Tayuya glared at him, "none of your fudging business!"

"If you must know, it's because one of his snake's eggs hatched and he doesn't want us to see him baby talking to the little snakes and playing with them like a child," Kabuto revealed.

Tayuya looked surprised and in disbelief, "seriously?"

Kabuto nodded and she burst out laughing. "You didn't hear it from me!" It was bad enough that Orochimaru had insisted that Kabuto stayed until the 'birth' ended, just in case his precious pet snake needed a doctor.

"Wait till Kin hears about this!" Tayuya was still in uncontrollable laughter.

"Fine, make fun of him, just don't say I told you anything," Kabuto reminded. Orochimaru would kill him if he knew. Kabuto gently pressed the gas pedal again, driving slowly down the tunnels. "I'm going to get ready to go to the next town. I can't go there looking like a ninja."

"Can't you just use a transformation jutsu to blend in?" Tayuya asked.

"That's not how civilians do it, the experience wouldn't be the same," Kabuto reached the underground garage area once again and got off the jeep. He made sure to take the key with him.

"When are you leaving?" Tayuya inquired.

"In about fifteen minutes," Kabuto realized only after he had said it, that it probably wasn't a good idea.

"Good, I'll get Kin, don't leave without us or else!" After stating her threat, Tayuya ran off, ignoring Kabuto's protests.

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Tayuya found Kin training with her teammates Dosu and Zaku. "Kin, take a break, I have to tell you something."

Tayuya sounded like she was up to something and Kin was curious. "What is it?"

"Come over here," Tayuya called.

Curious to know what was gong on, Kin followed, until Dosu and Zaku complained. "Hey, quit taking breaks when it's not break time!"

"Mind your own business, Dosu!" Kin retorted.

"Yeah, don't be nosy about girl talk," Tayuya's attempt to keep Dosu and Zaku out of it, ultimately resulted in failure, as she was not the kind of to like girl talk and they knew it.

Dosu and Zaku decided to pretend they didn't notice something was going on and follow the girls later. "Girl talk? I don't want to hear it, it may be creepy," Zaku covered his ears.

Kin glared at him and left with Tayuya. Once out of earshot, she asked, "what's really going on?"

"Kabuto has a strange machine that moves by itself with gas," Tayuya revealed.

Kin blinked, "a machine, what does it look like?"

"It's green and black, it has seats, a wheel and pedals to control it. Kabuto also used a key to activate it. I've never seen such a thing before in my entire life. He said it was called a jeep and it moves really fast. You just have to see for yourself what it's like to ride on that thing!" Tayuya clearly liked the jeep.

Kin's eyes lit up, if Tayuya was actually exited about the ride, then it must have been really good. "I want to try it!"

"Kabuto is leaving in a few minutes to the next town. I'm going to change into something less ninja looking. He plans to go to town as a civilian." Though using a jutsu to change her appearance would be more practical, Tayuya decided to play along and change her clothes.

"This will be so much fun!" Kin rushed to her room to change.

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Several minutes later, Tayuya knocked on Kin's door. The orange haired girl was wearing black pants and an orange tank top that matched her hair, which was now in a ponytail. "Hey Kin, you ready yet?"

"Almost, come in," Kin's voice came from inside the room.

Tayuya entered the room to find her friend putting on makeup. "What the hack are you doing?"

"I'm putting on make up, if we're going into town as civilians then it kind of fits." Kin finished up her makeup with bright red lipstick that matched the red highlights in her black hair.

"You even dyed your hair?" Tayuya inquired.

"It's instant temporary dye, you just brush it on," Kin admired herself in the mirror one more time. She was wearing a black strapless top, red leather pants and black boots.

"C'mon let's go," Tayuya rushed, but Kin was quick to stand in her way.

"You're not going like that are you?" Kin asked, even though she knew the answer.

"What the fudge is wrong with going like this?" Tayuya didn't like dressing up.

"At least change the sneakers," Kin crossed her arms and refused to move from her position at the door.

"What's wrong with my sneakers?" Tayuya happened to like those old beat up sneakers.

"If you must wear sneakers fine, but use mine." Finally moving away from the door, Kin searched in her closet for a pair of black sneakers. "Here you go."

"Fine, if it'll make you shut up." Once Tayuya was done changing her sneakers, she looked up to find Kin staring at her with a very evil expression. In her hand she held lipstick. "No fudging way!"

"C'mon it's not going to kill you!" Kin insisted.

"I'll kill you if you try it!" Tayuya threatened with obvious intentions of carrying out her threat, should Kin push her luck.

Fortunately the dark haired girl was smarter than that. "How about eye shadow then, just a bit?"

"What does it matter?" Tayuya had always been rather tomboyish, not caring about girly things like makeup. In fact Orochimaru was probably more interested in makeup than her.

"We both need to look our best because we may find some cute guys in town. Think about it, it's our chance to hang out with guys who don't look like mummies, barrels, bugs or freaks." Kin included Dosu in the mummy category, with Jirobo most likely being the barrel, Kidomaru and the others were classified as freaks. "Will you be brave and let me put make up on you? You can think of it as camouflage to blend in with the civilian crowd."

"This better be worth it and it better wash off fast later," Tayuya looked like she was being cruelly tortured when Kin put the smallest amount of make up on her. "Alright that's enough; let's go before Kabuto leaves without us. I gave him the 'or else' threat and I'm going to have to think of what to make of it if he does leave without us. Orochimaru won't want me to kill his doctor, so the obvious revenge is ruled out."

"What's up with Orochimaru these days anyway? Does he have a cold again?" Kin asked as the two girls headed to meet Kabuto.

"You know he's a total baby when he catches a cold, it's so pitiful it's embarrassing, but no, that's not it this time. Kabuto told me and don't tell him I told you, one of Orochimaru's pet snakes had babies and he's playing with them," Tayuya revealed.

Kin laughed, "Oro's a daddy!"

Tayuya burst out laughing, Kin could come up with a few funny things to say every now and then, which is why they were friends, despite their obvious differences in personality. "Oh, man, if he heard you saying that! Actually, I think he's a granddaddy."

"You know what? I think he would be more offended to be called old than to be called the father of a snake," Kin commented.

"I agree," Tayuya nodded.

Finally the two girls made it the area of the hideout where Kabuto was waiting. On their way, they picked up some extra shadows. They were fully aware that they were being followed, but didn't make any effort to stop them. Not just Dosu and Zaku but also Kidomaru, Jirobo, Sakon, and therefore Ukon, and even Kimimaro were following them curiously. The girls didn't often dress up like that.

"Do you realize someone is following you?" Kabuto was wearing jeans and a tshirt, no ninja headband. He looked at the girls' clothing. "You two didn't have to get all dressed up for me, but I appreciate the thought."

"Shut the fudge up. Of course we know we're being followed. Who cares? That jeep thing can out run them anyway," Tayuya answered.

"I see, it's the thrill of the chase, except the fun part is being chanced and knowing we can't be caught. It does sound like fun." Kabuto hopped in the driver's seat while Tayuya and Kin argued over who would ride in the front.

"Don't take us so lightly," Kidomaru jumped out of hiding and the others followed.

"What is that machine of yours?" Sakon inquired.

"It's called a jeep and it's a type of car, cars are very rare, they move without being pulled by horses, they run on gas," Kabuto caused the others to blink in confusion and stare with curiosity.

"That thing really moves? I want to try it!" Zaku exclaimed.

His voice was followed by a chorus of "me too!"

"No, no! I only invited the girls, well actually, they invited themselves, but that's not the point," Kabuto argued.

"Tayuya and Kin, leaving your own teammates behind to go with Kabuto, how terrible!" Sakon exaggerated the drama.

"It must be the silver hair, girls love it." That little comment earned Kabuto a double death glare from Tayuya and Kin, followed by both girls undoing his ponytail and messing up his hair. "Stop that!"

"Forget your stupid hair I want to use the jeep. Don't be so selfish four eyes," Kidomaru paused and realized something. "Hey, where's your extra pair of eyes today?"

"Contact lenses" Kabuto replied.

"Isn't it more convenient to wear them all the time?" Sakon asked.

Kabuto shrugged, "I like my glasses."

"Forget that, I want to try out that jeep thing," Jirobo insisted.

"Oh, dear I hope you're not thinking of asking for a ride," Kabuto exaggerated his worry.

"Why is that?" Jirobo asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Dosu and the others laughed, until Jirobo caught on and attempted to punch Dosu. Dosu dodged, narrowly avoiding the attack, but Jirobo couldn't stop on time and accidentally hit Sakon instead.

"Hey fatso, why did you do that?" Sakon retuned the punch, making Jirobo stumble backwards and step on Zaku's foot in the process.

"Shiny!" Zaku yelled while hopping on one foot. "You'll pay for that!" Zaku attempted to hit Jirobo, but he got out of the way and Kidomaru was caught by the attack. A chaotic battle began.

"Now's our chance!" Kabuto started the jeep and got ready to leave. Kin and Tayuya hopped in the back of the jeep to avoid being left behind.

They zoomed past the fight and the fighters realized that the machine called jeep really was as fast as they heard. In the blink of an eye, all they saw was the ying-yang painted on the extra tire's cover in the back of the jeep, becoming a dot at the end of the tunnel. "Come back here!" They all yelled at once and engaged pursuit to no avail.

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It wasn't until Kabuto, Tayuya and Kin were outside the hideout and had lost sight of their pursuers, that a cough caught their attention. Sitting next to Kabuto, unnoticed until then, was Kimimaro. "Hello," Kimimaro casually greeted.

"When did you get here?" Kabuto had been so focused on his driving, he didn't even notice. The girls were too busy enjoying the ride and making fun of their teammates until they were left out of sight, that they didn't notice Kimimaro either.

"I sat down here while everyone was arguing. It seems I'm quite easily forgotten and ignored," Kimimaro sounded sad.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to ignore you," Kin said.

"We were just distracted," Tayuya added.

"Oh, that's great, now you're being nice to him?" Kabuto's hair was starting to get on his nerves now that it was out of its usual ponytail and the wind kept throwing it in his face.

"Jealous?" Kimimaro smiled.

"Shut up," Kabuto growled.

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Kabuto, Kimimaro, Tayuya and Kin reached the next town a lot faster than they possibly could have on foot, even by ninja standards. "We're here already?" Kin was amazed.

Kabuto nodded, "I really don't know why cars are so rare, if only people would see how useful they are and make more."

"They would be too easy to track," Tayuya pointed at the tire tracks that marked their path in the arid grassless ground.

"Yeah, there's that," Kabuto admitted. "They wouldn't work so well for ninja and it would be inconvenient in heavy vegetation, but still," at a lower speed Kabuto entered the main street of the town. "At least because cars are so rare, it's easy to find a parking spot."

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After parking the roofless jeep, the four sound ninja were off in different directions in the mall, leaving Kimimaro by himself. I'm not sure what I should do here," he shrugged and figured his first action should be to find a place to sit down before he started feeling dizzy. "Being sick sucks," Kimimaro found a bench in the mall and sat down.

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Kin had somehow dragged Tayuya to a clothing store, where the orange haired girl was extremely bored. "Do you even have money to pay for this? If we steal it, it'll blow our civilian cover."

"We'll just look at the clothes for now and think about how to get them later. It'll be fun to try them on!" The way Kin said it like she actually meant it frightened Tayuya. "What's wrong, you look like you saw a ghost?"

"Kin, seriously if shiny like this is your idea of fun, you're one very deprived girl," Tayuya shook her head hopelessly.

"I should have known you wouldn't like shopping," Kin pouted.

"Let's get out of here before I blow our cover by going on a killing spree. There are too many preps around here and over there, emos. Who puts the emo clothes next to the prep clothes?" Tayuya walked out of the store.

"Where are you going?" Kin followed.

"This is boring, there's nothing to do in this town." The place was a mall and a few houses around it, as if people wanted to stay close to the mall all the time. It made Tayuya sick.

"Hey, isn't that Kimimaro over there?" Kin noticed the familiar looking boy sitting on a bench staring into a fountain.

"Yeah, looks like he's as bored as we are," Tayuya observed.

"Speak for yourself, I was having fun," Kin pouted and crossed her arms. Why did she leave the store anyway? Then again, it's not like she had any money and she didn't want to blow her cover by stealing.

"Hello," Kimimaro greeted them. "Are you here to rest too?"

"Seriously, being sick must suck, resting all the time," Tayuya couldn't stand it if it was her.

"It's not so bad," though he was saying that, Kimimaro gave them the saddest look possible.

"Come with us, we'll go somewhere we can all enjoy," Kin invited.

"Sounds like fun, where are we going?" Kimimaro asked.

The girls scanned the area for a possible destination. "There!" Tayuya pointed at the food court area, specifically at the ice-cream stand.

"Great idea," Kin agreed.

"I could use some ice-cream but I don't have money. I'm suspicious enough as it is because I didn't have time to dress as a civilian before we left. I don't want to blow your cover," Kimimaro voiced.

"It's okay, I don't have enough money for clothes, but I think I have enough for ice-cream," Kin assured.

"Yeah me too, c'mon we'll invite you," Tayuya insisted. Kimimaro smiled, though he would never admit it, the liked getting attention.

xoxox xox xoxox

Sometime later, after eating their ice-cream, the three sound ninja wondered around the mall completely broke. "Orochimaru gives us such a small allowance," Kin commented.

"Small? There's the understatement of the whole fudging century, A little more and we'll be paying him to work," Tayuya dramatized.

"We totally need to get more money out of him, this sucks," Kin pouted.

"Hack yeah," Tayuya agreed. The entire time Kimimaro quietly walked between the two girls, with his arms around their waists, supposedly so he wouldn't feel dizzy and fall.

xoxox xox xoxox

A little later, they spotted Kabuto carrying several bags. "How's the shopping going? We'll be visiting the beach hideout next week, so I wanted to get some supplies."

"The beach hideout?" Kin squealed. "Why didn't you say so before? I need to buy something to wear, or rather steal it since I have no money."

"Didn't you buy a bikini last month when you dragged me all over the fudging store?" Tayuya reminded her.

"Yes, but if we're staying for a week I'll need more than one. What are you going to wear? You didn't buy anything that day?" Kin reminded.

"Shorts and a tank top," Tayuya sounded uninterested.

"You're not going to get a tan like that," Kin pointed out.

"I don't care about getting a tan," Tayuya replied.

Kabuto was getting impatient. "If you would be so kind to look this way, ladies," Kabuto proudly help up a credit card, Orochimaru's credit card. The two girls immediately let go of Kimimaro and attempted to take the card from Kabuto. "Not so fast! Let's all go to the store and I'll decide how much you each get to spend. Kimimaro you're looking kind of pale. Why don't you rest on that bench over there and watch the bags for us while we go buy some things."

As Kabuto and left, linking arms with Tayuya and Kin, Kimimaro glared at him and grumbled, "cheater, using that card to get all the attention." Kimimaro sat on the bench and continuously kicked Kabuto's purchases, with a sharp bone sticking out of his toe.

xoxox xox xoxox

Kabuto, Tayuya and Kin arrived at a store with all sorts of beach related supplies. It took a while for Kin to decide on what tanning lotion she wanted, since she kept changing her mind, until Kabuto, being a doctor and becoming bored of all the waiting, gave her his opinion on which one was better for her skin. Moments later, Kin was happily bouncing about in the bathing suit section, while Tayuya was just about ready to die of boredom. By the time Kin decided what she wanted and actually convinced Tayuya to get something new wear at the beach, the girls had lost track of Kabuto, or rather Kin had left him behind in her mad shopping dash, to which she dragged Tayuya.

After a quick search they spotted Kabuto examining some surf boards. "You surf?" Tayuya asked.

"Not really, but I want to try it, besides Orochimaru's birthday is soon so I better get him something," Kabuto mused. "By the way thanks for ditching me back there."

"We didn't ditch you, you were just being slow. What's that about Orochimaru's birthday?" Kin inquired.

"Remember last year when Orochimaru kept asking if we had something to tell him and no one knew why?" Kabuto reminded.

"Yeah, then he made us run laps around the hideout without rest for three days straight, except Kimimaro who had to run for a week." Tayuya's memory of the occasion was followed by a stream of colorful words, remembering how much her feet ached afterwards.

"I think that's what finally pushed his health over the edge," Kin commented.

"Probably, later I figured out that Orochimaru was expecting us to tell him 'happy birthday'. Kimimaro was worse off because he actually remembered the occasion and gave Orochimaru a knitting set. You know how he can get a bit sensitive about being old," Kabuto explained.

"So you're getting him a surf board?" Tayuya inquired. Kabuto nodded and the girls burst out laughing at the image of Orochimaru, looking absolutely ridiculous while trying to surf.

"If we don't get him a gift that makes him feel young, he'll ruin our week at the beach hideout," at Kabuto's words of warning, both girls fell silent.

"Right, then let's get him the surf board," Kin nodded.

Tayuya also agreed, "let' tell him it's from all of us."

"We'll also need to get a cake for that day and party hats," Kabuto mused. "We might as well get the hats and decorations and hide them, that way we only need to get the cake later."

"Party hats?" Tayuya was in disbelief.

"And decorations?" Kin added.

"What is he five?" Tayuya caught sight of someone approaching.

"A childish atmosphere will make him feel younger," Kabuto explained. Kin and Tayuya discreetly tried to point out that there was a certain someone behind him, while at the same time trying to hold back laughter. "Remember, do not ask him how old he is and if he says he's in his twenties, pretend you believe him." Finally catching the hint, Kabuto turned around and came face to face with a pair of golden snake-like eyes. "Orochimaru!"

Flashback

"Who's the cutest little baby snake?" Orochimaru was still playing with his new pets. However, the parent snakes were getting annoyed because he kept trying to teach their babies how to play fetch and wouldn't let them take their naps. The two parent snakes nodded at each other and each bit one of Orochimaru's hands. "Ah!" Screaming of the top of his lungs, Orochimaru ran around the hideout waving his arms wildly with the snakes attached. Finally, he managed to get the snakes to let him go and proceeded to search for his local doctor, whom he didn't find. However, the remaining sound ninja were able to provide him with some clues of the medical ninja's whereabouts.

End Flashback

"Who are you talking about Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked. The three young sound ninja stared at him in disbelief. He was wearing torn jeans with way too many holes, a pair of old dirty sneakers and a dark blue tshirt with shiny silvery letters that read 'glasses are sexy'. He was also wearing glasses, except the glass part was missing. "Well? Who are you talking about?"

"Kimimaro, he's feeling the effect of old age," Tayuya blurted out.

"Yeah, that's why he's always resting," Kin aided her.

Kabuto nodded and when the shock sunk in, he asked, "where did you get those clothes and those glasses?"

"I needed a little help with some first aid," Orochimaru showed them the bandages messily tied up around his hands. Sakon was not a medical ninja. "I couldn't find you so I went so see if you were in your room, you weren't there, but the closet door was wide open and I saw some clothes I wanted to borrow. I borrowed your glasses to make truth to what the shirt says, but the glass part made things look funny so I removed it."

"My glasses, my precious glasses!" Kabuto dramatically screamed.

"Your glasses should be the last of your worries. What are you three doing here, running off without permission?" Orochimaru was annoyed.

Kabuto was too depressed to respond, so Kin spoke. "We can't tell because it's a secret." Orochimaru didn't look very convinced yet.

"Yeah, it's a secret for a special occasion, but we can't tell you what it is," Tayuya tried to make Orochimaru catch the hint and it worked.

"I see, well then, I'll go back tot he hideout so that you may all continue with your secret shopping." Orochimaru smiled, looking rather scary, even though it was supposed to be a happy smile because his minions were planning his birthday party. Orochimaru left Tayuya and Kin to deal with the depressed Kabuto. The silver haired young man would have to console himself giving Orochimaru's credit card a good workout.

End of Event 21

Disclaimer, I don't own Naruto. Event 20 is for Xinda. Event 21 was inspired by a conversation with Xinda about the lack of cars in Naruto even if they have other technologies; Kabuto's jeep was looks like Hakuryu from Saiyuki.


	8. Event 22

Forgotten Events

Event 22: A Taste of Your Own Medicine

Itachi lay motionless on the ground next to their camp site, while Kisame poked him with a stick. The shark man dropped the stick, bent over and proceeded to poke Itachi with his finger. "Hey, wake up!" No reply came from the comatose Uchiha.

That morning, Kisame had woken up to Itachi's voice singing, "I'm too sexy for Akatsuki, too sexy for Akatsuki, too sexy yeah!" The handsome Uchiha was sitting on a log, having already packed up his tent. He was currently brushing his long black hair. He made faces at the mirror and ran his fingers over the lines on his face. They had bothered him before, but soon he noticed he was too good looking to be affected by such small details so he paid less attention to them these days.

Kisame was thankful that Itachi lost his complex, since he had stopped going into every pharmacy they came across to buy a different brand of facial cream. His self confidence had certainly gone up ever since he accepted the cute little lines as simply part of his face. Unfortunately for Kisame, who had to put up with him, his ego had gone up too. Every morning it was the same thing. Itachi would wake up singing that same song, while he stared at himself in the mirror adoringly and brushed his hair.

That morning had been no different. Kisame got up in a foul mood, feeling somewhat jealous that he looked so ugly compared to Itachi, or compared to most people for that matter. Even so, he brushed it off. At least he wasn't terrified of scratching his nail polish like Itachi was. Oh yes the Uchiha's nails were always perfectly manicured. "Good morning Kisame!" Itachi cheerfully greeted with a smile on his face that he would not show, should an enemy ninja be anywhere near by.

"Morning," Kisame was not feeling too energetic. "I'm going to the river near by to get some water." The shark man left. By the time Kisame returned, he found Itachi knocked out on the ground. It couldn't be the work of thieves because nothing was missing from their camp. It couldn't be fan girls, because otherwise they would have kidnapped Itachi. Who did this was a big mystery to Kisame. Itachi was a strong ninja; he shouldn't be defeated so easily. Furthermore, Kisame found no traces of anyone other than Itachi being in the area during his short absence.

"Ow," Itachi stirred. "Oh..."

"Itachi?" Kisame poked him once more.

"Ouch, stop poking me." With some help from Kisame, Itachi stood up still using his partner for support. "Mirror... evil... Mangekyo Sharingan..." After saying those words, he collapsed back into a coma.

xoxox xox xoxox

"Kisame! Kisame!" Itachi wondered around in circles in a clearing in a forest. "Kisame, where did you go?" His partner lay dead on the ground with the sword of Kusanagi stabbed into his heart. A grinning boy with black hair and red eyes stood other him.

Making a hand sign the boy used a transformation jutsu to turn into Kisame. "I'm right here Itachi," the fake Kisame replied. He noticed the older Uchiha was extending his hand as if waiting for Kisame to serve as a guide. His headband was over his eyes instead of on his forehead.

"Don't abandon me like that," Itachi took his hand and they started walking.

"That's right, sometimes I forget you were blinded that time," the fake Kisame searched for information as to how it happened.

"Don't make fun of me," Itachi complained. "I can see I'm just... well... you know what happened with the Sharingan and the mirror."

The fake Kisame, who was really Sasuke in disguised. held back a laugh. "You're afraid of your own eyes?"

"Don't make fun of me! You're not too fond of mirrors either, remember?" Itachi argued.

Sasuke was planning to kill him there and then, but decided that there was another way. On his search to find Itachi and take revenge, he found a place that angered and disturbed him. That place was now his destination.

"Are we near the Akatsuki Headquarters?" Itachi asked. They had been walking for quite some time.

"Almost there." They arrived at the place and Sasuke grinned evilly, looking at the large sign at the door that read 'Itachi Fan Club'. He opened the door and led Itachi inside. "I have a gift for you ladies," Sasuke, disguised as Kisame announced. The squeals of many fan girls were heard.

"Kisame, where are we? What's going on?" Itachi was panicked. Squeals were not a good sign and that many could only make it worse.

"I'm not Kisame," Sasuke spoke in his normal voice, since he had been trying to sound like Kisame before, although he still maintained his disguise. He backed away towards the door, far from the fan girls so he could make a quick escape after revealing his identity. "Farewell, brother!" Sasuke was gone with the speed of a true ninja.

"No!" Itachi screamed. As if on cue, countless fan girls pounced on him. It is said that his terrified screams were heard by Naruto in the Hidden Leaf village, by Gaara in the Hidden Sand village, by Kabuto in the Hidden Sound village and even the Third Hokage, may he rest in peace, had heard.

xoxox xox xoxox

Itachi slowly opened his eyes, regaining consciousness. "Kisame!" He screamed when the face of his partner came into focus. "What a terrible thing to wake up to."

Kisame frowned. "What ever happened to thank you for your concern Kisame, I'm sorry I worried you?"

Itachi rubbed his aching head and extended his hand. Kisame noticed he wanted help getting up refused to take it. Sighing hopelessly, Itachi recited Kisame's words as if it was a hastily learnt song, "thank you for your concern Kisame, I'm sorry I worried you."

After hearing that, Kisame helped Itachi to his feet. "What happened to you?"

"I accidentally activated the Mangekyo Sharingan while looking in the mirror and had a terrible nightmare. I was afraid of my own eyes so I covered them with my headband. Sasuke came and murdered you with Orochimaru's sword. Then he pretended to be you and led me into a trap full of rabid fan girls and the girls tore me apart fighting over who would keep me and... and... it was scary!" Itachi was near the point of tears. "You don't know what it's like to be fought over for three days even if it was three seconds in real life. In my dream, they tossed me around and poked me and glomped me for three days, until they finally tore me appear by pulling me in different directions and I died. You don't know what it's like to have crazy wild fan girls following you like hunter ninjas!" Itachi was in hysterics. "You don't know what it's like! You don't know how scary it is!" The tears started to escape from his red eyes.

Kisame nearly turned from blue to green with jealousy. He would never know what it was like to have fan girls. Even so, he tried to be supportive and gave Itachi a gentle pat on the back, trying to console the frightened Uchiha. "There, there Itachi, it was just a nightmare."

Itachi hugged Kisame and let himself cry. He didn't care about ninja rule number twenty five anymore, the rule about not showing emotions and not crying. He may be a shinobi but he had no intentions of keeping his emotions bottled up this time. He was scared and mentally scarred and he needed to let it out. After a while, the crying came to an end. "Thanks Kisame, but it would have been better if the nice fan girl who tried to set me free in my dream was the one hugging me. She was the only one who treated me like a person rather than an object of affection to obsess about and they killed her." Itachi sniffled and let go of Kisame. He wrinkled his nose and stressed his point. "Honestly, I really wish she was real and hugging me instead of you."

"Ingrate, I get it, I'm not easy on the eyes," Kisame grumbled, "but your eyes are not easy on anyone."

End of Event 22

Disclaimer, I don't own Naruto. 


	9. Event 23

Forgotten Events

Event 23: Return from the Darkness

Sakura's Point of View

As I ran to the other side of the unfinished bridge I felt as if my heart was going to stop before I got there. Sasuke couldn't be dead, he just couldn't be. To still keep my position of protecting the bridge builder he came with me to find Sasuke. Yet as we ran I felt as if he wasn't there nor was Naruto or Kakashi-sensei, Zabusa, Haku, no one. The world was empty and only Sasuke and I existed in this place, because he had to still be in this world, I won't accept that he had died. Sasuke... if Naruto had survived Haku's attacks then you must have survived also. I'm certain you're there hiding in the thick mist waiting for the right moment to come out by surprise and help us win this battle. That is how you are Sasuke, invincible in my eyes... but sadly only in my eyes.

That's when I realized that you too are human. That you also have strengths and weaknesses. There you lay unmoving with throwing needles stuck all over your blood covered body. This couldn't be true. It was a nightmare but it was real. How I wish to wake up and find that you live. But you were there... dead. I didn't accept it, I never will. Years later I still refuse to accept your death. Not before telling you of my feelings, not before living together in happiness for many years. Not that day on that bridge. Not as long as I live.

I checked for a pulse as I desperately tried to hold back my tears as I remembered one of the principals of the shinobi. I remembered that test, I got the answer right as usual. Yet at the same time even if I knew I shouldn't I also knew I would break that principal there and then. I let my tears flow into his lifeless body. Sasuke... I would rather it be me there than you. Why couldn't it be my blood spilling into the bridge and not yours? Sasuke... I'll never see you again... never again. Or will I? Of course I will... I'll find a way.

I always wondered what would have happened if you lived. What new adventures would have lived together? The battle was won later but it wasn't a real victory. We lost you there. I'll never forget that day. I'll never forget the feel of your lifeless body in my arms. My tears mixing with your blood. So cold... dead. So true yet so unreal.

It was after that when I left. I was determined to bring you back somehow. Kakashi-sensei thought that I needed time to think. But instead I ran away and never returned to the village hidden in the leaves. I guess everyone thought I was smarter than that. How foolish of me to leave while still being a genin. A young girl traveling on her own with her ninja skill not yet fully developed and no where close. But I had to leave... I had to bring you back. I am no longer the happy carefree Sakura, now I am someone different because of all the things that happened all these years.

Years had passed since that day but I still remember it so clearly. I see it every night in my nightmares. I rarely have dreams anymore, only nightmares. Everything is so clear and the sorrow returns full force. But I haven't cried or showed any emotions in years regardless of how much it hurts. Deep down I know that one day I'll bring you back. I don't care if it's wrong or not. I don't care what kind of black magic I must use but you will return Sasuke. You will return to me and I will tell you what I didn't have the chance to tell you before.

End of Sakura's Point of View

The forest was filled with the sounds of the night. Owls were heard singing a sad song. It wouldn't matter if they sounded cheerful to others, they sounded like they were crying to her. Tears, she hasn't known what that was since the day he died. She had decided to follow that particular principal until she found him. Then when Sasuke returned and only then would she let her emotions flow. "Sakura, you need to return" She did not need to turn around to identify the source of the voice. That voice belonged to her former sensei, Kakashi. For a long time she had been angry at Naruto, at the village hidden in the leaves and most of all at Kakashi. Haku and Zabusa were already dead so it didn't matter.

"You said you would protect him. You failed him but I will not" The young woman continued on her way. She knew very well that Kakashi could easily eliminate her if he wished. But he had no real reason to do so. Leaving as only a genin she carried no big secrets. What she knew from that village was basic knowledge that other villages also possessed. What other techniques she had leaned she learned them on her own and the village hidden in the leaves had nothing to claim. Still she was seen as a traitor by many. Naruto stood up for her when she heard the villages talking badly about her. He said that he wouldn't allow anyone to speak in such a way of his friends. But that wasn't enough. They still spoke of her when he wasn't there to listen.

"Sakura don't let your feelings betray you" He always said that when ever he saw her. "You will do Sasuke more evil than good if you continue. I failed him, that's true. But he was a true ninja, he would have understood. It is no excuse for me but it is not excuse for you either" Kakashi said. She didn't quite understand what he meant but she didn't care.

"Let me be Kakashi" She picked up the pace as a soft breeze started to blow. She remembered how the wind used to play with his black hair when she watched him and he didn't know. Kakashi no longer followed her. He had said and repeated his warning many times. Yet she had to see it for herself. He had taken the revenge that Sasuke couldn't take. After failing to protect his student Kakashi thought it was the least he could do. Regardless of what the other ninjas said he carried out his plans. At least Sasuke's dream wouldn't be completely lost.

Leaving the main path in the forest Sakura leapt into a tree branch and jumped from one branch to another deep into the deeper and darker parts of the forest. This was a shorter way, this way she could reach her destination faster. Then a scream of pain reached her ears. She stopped and tried to follow the echoing sounds. 'Concentrate Sakura' she told herself. Finally identifying the source of the scream she headed in that direction. But when she arrived she was too late. She found nothing but a dead boy about twelve years also. She wondered why anyone would harm such a young child. He didn't appear special from what she could see. But she knew like any ninja that appearances can be deceiving.

She paced a hand near the boy's throat looking for a heart beat with two fingers. He was dead no doubt about it. Then with a quick movement she pulled the blood stained knife from the boy's chest and plunged it into the attacker behind her. He stumbled back holding the wound in his shoulder. A few more inched and she would have cut his throat.

"You'll never get what you seek" He did not have a head band. No symbol of him being ninja at all but he had some knowledge and skill although limited. Who ever hired him would regret not sending a professional ninja to do the job.

"I already he it" Sakura said with a cold piercing emotionless glare. A kunai knife was all it took to silence that idiot. She looked at the small object in her hand. Yes that liquid, clear as water but shining as the sun was he last piece of the puzzle. How foolish to attempt to hide it by giving it to a child to deliver it to the final point. It was found and stolen after the boy was killed. Even a ninja wannabe like the one that lay dead at her feet could steal this item.

Leaping into the tree branches once more she headed for the original destination where this item was supposed to be delivered for her purchase. How ever it appeared that she got it for free after all. She left the forest just as the sun began to appear in the horizon. 'The time will be tonight' She thought. Yes, tomorrow night she would put that well researched black magic to good use. Finally after traveling to distant lands she had all she needed to bring him back. She silently promised him and herself that she would achieve this and now she was so close. Only one day stood between her and Sasuke's return.

Upon her arrival in none ninja village no one stood in her way. They knew it was best to let the strange ninja woman be. Many wondered who she was and those who knew hardly believe it anymore. In the past she had been different but there was more to heart break than people knew. Some spoke of how cheerful she had been years before but something, some unknown incident made her change. Only those from the village hidden in the leaves knew what that incident was and even they didn't speak of it often though they spoke of her supposed betrayal almost every day.

Ignoring the villages she prepared to bring him back. She did not know that she was poisoning his very soul if she gave him the final part of the spell. It was that liquid like water but shining like the sun that would bring him back to life after the was summoned to this world but not without a high price to pay. She loved him, she really did but this was a mistake and only he could tell her that, only he could make her understand. It all depended on what happened when he came back.

"Sakura" His voice was only a quiet whisper but it felt loud in the silence that filled the came. He stood in the center of a circle with various drawings all around. His ninja head band which had mysteriously disappeared was there in the center. She had it all along. He was back in that world, the world of the mortals. It was not where he belonged anymore.

"Sasuke" To see him again all grown up as he would have been if he had lived all those years was overwhelming. The cave was dark with only three candles on the floor around him as part of the spell as the only sources that provided light but she could still see him. "Drink this Sasuke so you can stay"

"No" His voice felt like a thousand dagger stabbed violently into her already broken heart that had barely started to heal. Did he not want to live? Was it her fault? Was it because his revenge had already been completed by Kakashi even if it was done in his name? Why? She didn't understand. "I am no demon Sakura and I refuse to return as such. I am no creature of darkness and I will rest once again after this night ends" He said looking into her eyes.

She couldn't believe it. She had been looking forward to that moment for so many years. She had devoted her life to this night. Tonight she had everything she needed and the moon was full. She had waited in the cave until sun set her patients nearly running dry at that point. Then she waited until precisely mid night to commence the black magic after everything had been set up hours before. Her timing had to be exact. She read the spell pronouncing each word to perfecting even if the book was written in a complicated ancient language. Her timing was impeccable, precise, perfect as it had to be. It took her exactly ten minutes to finish reading the long spell speaking at an appropriate speed. Exactly that is how it was supposed to be. At ten minutes past mid night he began to appear. First a ghostly shadow but in the end he looked like he was truly made of warm human flesh that didn't die back then. "Sasuke I"

"I know... I've been watching Sakura. I have something to ask of you" She slowly approached entering the circle where he was. The circle was about then feet wide and he cold leave it or he would disappear immediately instead of staying until the morning came. The energy within the circle of magic felt as if it was tearing her apart. "Give that to me" he took the small bottle with that dreaded shining magical liquid yet she knew he wouldn't drink it. He tossed it against a wall further into the cave and she heard it shatter its rare content lost. "I want you to return to the village hidden in the leaves. Train hard, become a better ninja until you reach skills beyond what you imagined. Do that for me Sakura"

"They won't take me back" Sakura said. He wasn't going to stay in this world. Kakashi had warned her even if he wasn't specific on the details. She felt more heart broken now than ever. She was willing to bend the laws of nature itself and suffer the consequences to bring him back but he didn't accept that.

"They will if you prove you can be trusted again. Maybe Kakashi can help you with that" Sasuke said pulling her closer.

She wrapped her arms around him. So warm... as if he was alive, truly alive, as if he would stay in this world for many years but he wouldn't. "Sasuke" She let her tears flow freely now as he held her in his arms. She no longer felt the energy around them for her own emotions being released made it look like nothing. "I love you Sasuke. I always had... I'm sorry I disappointed you. I'm sorry I was selfish all this time by bringing you back this way but Sasuke I don't want you to go. I know it's inevitable yet I can't accept the idea. Please Sasuke"

"Shh don't cry now" Sasuke said. He gently brushed away her tears. His hand felt so warm. She felt safe for once in a long time and all the hardships she endured after she left the village hidden in the leaves, the place she once called home, were worth it for this moment alone. "Perhaps we will meet again but right now I only have until sun rise in this world. My time here is short so let's make good use of it" She nodded returning his smile. He rarely smiled if ever. But when he did it was amazing. She wanted to remember this forever. She wanted that image to be permanently recorded in her mind. She would always remember the night when she defied death for love. When she brought him back for a short time. For many years to come she would always dream of that kiss and everything that came after...

End of Event 23

Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto. 


	10. Events 24 to 28

Forgotten Events

**Event 24: Shadow Kiss** (ShikamaruxIno)

Ino sighed deeply, making a pause in her speech, "that is what I want to feel," she finished. She looked towards Shikamaru, who was obviously not paying attention. Their team was supposed to be training, but Chouji kept complaining of hunger so they took a break.

Shikamaru had sat down on a small hill to watch the clouds. Ino soon joined, sitting beside him even if he had not made any kind of hints that he wanted her company. However, he did not appear to be bothered by her presence either.

She started chatting about that special moment she longed to feel with the kiss of her true love. The conversation began because Valentine's Day was approaching, so love appeared to be a common topic those days. "Shikamaru, are you even listening to me?" There she was, describing her perfect Valentine's kiss and he wasn't paying attention. She crossed her arms and glared daggers at him.

Shikamaru shifted his gaze away from the clouds and in Ino's direction for just a moment. "Why are you telling me this?" Although it didn't look like it, he had been listening, he had heard every word.

Flashback

"I want that moment to be special," Ino had said. "It will be a perfect Valentine's Day kiss. I want to feel as if my body moves on its own being drawn to my true love. We come closer and closer, then slowly, a loving kiss, that's my Valentine's wish. Do you think it'll come true? Do you think he will..." she paused and sighed deeply. The image wasn't too clear in her mind anymore. In the past she could clearly see 'him' as Sasuke, but now the man in her dream had become a mystery. "That is what I want to feel."

End Flashback

Ino wasn't sure she knew the answer to Shikamaru's question. "Because you're my friend," was the first thing that came into her mind. "Friends tell each other things like this." She got up and started walking down the hill. "I'll see if Chouji has finished his snack yet so we can continue training."

Then Shikamaru called her, "Ino."

She turned to face him and suddenly she couldn't move. Her shadow had been captured by his the second she turned around and as he walked forward, so did she. Closer and closer then there was a loving kiss, just like her wish. She could see him clearly now. The man in her dreams was no longer a blur he was Shikamaru.

End of Event 24

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**Event 25: Future Plans **(ShikamaruxIno)

'I was going to be a so-so ninja and earn an okay salary...'

In the quiet of the night, three ninjas made their way deep into enemy territory. Their mission was to recover a very important scroll with vital information and meet up with their village's other teams. The light of the full moon shining upon the guards made it easy for one of those ninjas to use a jutsu that involved shadows.

Two other ninjas moved forward. Their mission was to get the scroll and leave as quickly as possible. A guard was taken by surprise, making for an easily borrowed disguise. One of the ninja stayed at that point, guardian his teammate. However, she was not really there.

Disguised as one of the enemies, she easily made her way to the deepest room in the fortress. She took the scroll and returned unnoticed. Now back to being herself, the two went to the entrance from which they came and met their teammate, who still held the guards firmly in place. The guards were released from their shadowy prison, but before they could stop them, the three ninjas were gone.

A considerable distance from there, they reunited with the other teams. Each team had accomplished their mission and the four teams went to the second phase. The mission as a whole was successful thanks to the vital information obtained from the scroll. They returned to the Hidden Leaf village as heroes.

'Marry a regular girl who'd be neither a beauty nor a hag...'

Ino stood at the edge of the rooftop. The wind was gently playing with her long blond hair. The sun was setting in the horizon of the Hidden Leaf village, creating a spectacle of bright reds, oranges and yellows.

Shikamaru approached and without turning around, Ino smiled recognizing his presence. He stood beside her and watched the sunset; it was almost as much fun as watching the clouds. He couldn't help it but to be amazed at her beauty and to think she was his fiance.

'Have two kids, first a girl then, after that, a boy...'

The news had come as a surprise to him. The news itself was not so surprising, it was only natural and it was to be expected. What shocked him was a certain detail about the news. Had Ino said she was going to have a baby; Shikamaru would have only been half as surprised as he was. She was not going to have a baby; she was going to have two, twins, a girl and a boy.

'Then I'd retire when my oldest girl got married and my son became independent...'

It seemed that all the top shinobis in the village had gathered in the hospital that day. Shikamaru paced back and forth, while Chouji commented that he was almost as bad as Naruto when it was Hinata giving birth and that it was so unlike him to do anything except sitting still.

The birth went without any complications for Ino. The twins were born healthy and strong. First the girl, then a few minutes later, the boy.

'After that I'd play Shogi and Go all day long, living a relaxed and easy retired life...'

The Hidden Leaf village shinobi were one of the most well known in the world. The teams from that village, especially the top four teams, were always busy with missions and he, his wife and his best friend, were one of those teams.

'Then I'd go of old age before my wife...'

After the time of frequent missions there followed a time of peace. It was an era when even those top ranked teams could take a break and spend time with their families. To Shikamaru, sitting beside Ino watching the Nara children running around playing with the Uzumaki and Uchiha children, was infinitely more relaxing than watching the clouds, despite the children's vast energy.

'I wanted that kind of life and then I tried to do my best, which is so unlike me...'

"Sometimes doing your best really is worth it..."

End of Event 25

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**Event 26: Not Just the Jacket **(ShikamaruxIno)

Shikamaru did his best to glare, but the look in his eyes was more of annoyance than anger. Ino and Chouji were making fun of how he looked with his new jacket after he had been promoted to chunin level.

Although he had continuously told them not to laugh while keeping a straight face himself, he couldn't help it but to wonder about Ino's comment that even he didn't look so bad in that jacket. Even if it was not like him at all to care about his appearance, Shikamaru couldn't help it but to feel... curious for lack of better word.

He wanted to know if she was only joking or if maybe she found him remotely handsome. Surprised at his own thoughts, he quickly forced himself to dismiss them, but such thoughts were stubborn and were destined to return later.

It wasn't until a considerable amount of time later that Shikamaru could no longer push the memory of Ino's comment to the back of is mind where he could barely hear it. Instead her voice stubbornly echoed in his every thought. As if on cue, he saw the blond that occupied his thoughts, crossing the bridge ahead.

By his ever precise calculations, Shikamaru determined that if they continued walking at that same speed, taking into account the direction of the wind and any other seemingly insignificant factors that could make a fraction of a difference when properly analyzed with an IQ of 200, he concluded that they would meet at the center of the bridge. Not the exact center, but approximately five inches more towards the south part.

When Ino and Shikamaru came face to face they stopped at the bridge, in the exact positions he had calculated. Ino casually greeted him and started to chat. From what he could gather, she was sent on an errand of some sort. He didn't pay enough attention to her words to know what exactly she was supposed to do, but by the expression on her face, which he studied in detail, he knew it was nothing unusual. She was probably going to buy some groceries or something.

"You always have that look in your eyes when I talk, as if you're listening but you're not," Ino observed.

Shikamaru heard her perfectly, regardless of being lost in thought. The change in her tone of voice indicated that it was time to wake up. "Ino, do you remember when you and Chouji found out about my promotion?"

She was taken by surprise by the question, "yeah?"

"You said that even I didn't look bad in a jacket," Shikamaru was truly in disbelief with himself, asking Ino about such things. He would be surprised if she still remembered that particular detail.

Ino couldn't help it but to smile at the memory. It wasn't really the jacket. It was the recognition Shikamaru had received. He had been promoted to chunin when no one else was. She didn't need the council to tell her he was a great guy. Although she didn't see it right away, now it came to Ino as the most obvious fact. Yet she wondered if anyone other than Chouji, Asuma and herself saw that talent. She was pleasantly surprised that the council saw it too. She sometimes wondered if Shikamaru himself knew how talented he was, it was hard to tell with his lazy attitude towards pretty much everything. "You look good in it."

Shikamaru stayed silent for a moment, as if expecting her to say something else.

At the same time, Ino wondered what he was waiting for and why he asked such an unexpected question. "Shikamaru, you look handsome with or without the jacket."

Shikamaru couldn't help it but to smile back as he felt an inexplicable happiness.

End of Event 26

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**Event 27: Lunch** (ShikamaruxIno)

Ino followed Shikamaru to their usual restaurant where they often ate with Asuma and Chouji. She was surprised to find that Chouji was not already in their regular table, eating like there's not tomorrow. Asuma was also nowhere to be found. "Chouji's late for lunch?"

"I didn't say this was a meeting with the entire team. I just asked you to come with me," Shikamaru replied.

"If we're not here to meet Asuma and Chouji, then why are we here? Why did you ask me to come?" Ino was a bit confused.

"This is going to be a drag if you don't even know," Shikamaru spoke with a hint of disappointment.

Ino thought about it. Was he asking her out to lunch? Were they on a date? She had agreed to go out to lunch with Shikamaru, just the two of them and she hasn't even noticed. 'Maybe it just means I'm comfortable around him so I agreed naturally,' she smiled.

End of Event 27

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**Event 28: Winter Flower **(ShikamaruxIno)

Shikamaru made his way into the flower shop to find Ino closing the doors. She smiled as he approached, happy to take a break and have a more pleasant view than the empty store. She waited for him to come in before closing the shop.

Not many flowers bloomed in the winter; save for those planted in the Yamanaka's indoor garden, with carefully measured artificially controlled temperatures. Even so, only so many flowers could be produced and they were quickly purchased at a good price in their season of rarity. Until a new batch grew, the shop would be temporarily closed. Ironically, the winter time was quite profitable because the Yamanaka's shop was the only place where flowers could be found.

"Shika, I'm happy you came to see me, I was so bored!" Ino cheerfully greeted her boyfriend. "I thought you thought it was too troublesome to come visit me at the shop."

"It is troublesome," Shikamaru agreed, "but worth it."

She noticed that he had one hand hidden behind his back and her smile grew with curiosity. "What are you hiding?"

"I brought you something," Shikamaru said.

Ino loved it when he had those little details. Shikamaru was still just as lazy as ever, so thinking that he went out of his way for her, made it all the more special. "What is it?"

"It's a plant."

"A plant? You mean a flower?" Ino didn't know where he could get a flower in the middle of winter.

"It's not exactly a flower, but close. It's not like the flowers in your shop. If you sold these here it would be quite troublesome because I would have to stay here all day and you would get tired of me," Shikamaru explained.

"You know I would never get tired of you," Ino winked. "I'm curious, if this thing will make you stay here all day if I had it in the shop, I'll have to get some."

"No don't, I don't want anyone but me doing something like this," Shikamaru revealed the item he was holding to be mistletoe and put on in Ino's hair. "Now it's on your head all the time so I don't have to go through the trouble of waiting until you walk under it."

End of Event 28

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Disclaimer, I don't own Naruto. Event 25 is based on Chapter 119 of the manga. Event 26 was based on Chapter 172 of the manga.


	11. Events 29 to 31

More revised stories. I removed the old ones. Only 29 is a crossover, 30 and 31 are all Naruto.

Event 29: "Fan" Temari meets Sanzo.

Event 30: "Age Transfer" Several ninja fall victim to an age altering jutsu, Shikamaru is a baby, Kakashi is a child, Sasuke is all grown up, etc. ShikaIno

Event 31: "Troublesome" Of troublesome feelings and pointless flirting, ShikaIno, NaruHina.

Forgotten Events

**Event 29: Fan** (Saiyuiki crossover)

"Can I see that fan?" The second his sister asked the question, Kankuro sensed trouble well on its way.

Sanzo didn't expect the request, it was just a paper fan, special to him, though he would never admit it, but just a paper fan none the less, or so he thought. The curiosity in her voice made him wonder if there was more to that fan than he thought. "Fine," he handed her the fan, if only to see what she would do with it.

"Temari," Kankuro gave a half whine, but didn't state the reason for his compliant, they should have stayed away from those strangers at the inn, they had no business with them.

"On your guard Kankuro!" Temari swung the fan towards her brother unaware of its true power.

Kankuro was quick to dodge as a wave of wind chakra flew past him and into the wall behind him. The wall and torn down by the concentrated wind chakra. Silence suddenly invaded the inn until Sanzo broke it with a somewhat indifferent sounding, "why did you do that?"

Temari seemed to jump out of her trance at hearing the question, "I didn't mean it! I didn't know this fan was so powerful, it didn't do that when he hit the boy with it, I just like fans and was curious," Temari rambled.

Goku pouted, "please don't teach Sanzo how to do that."

End of Event 29

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**Event 30: Age Transfer** (InoxShikamaru)

They stood before the Third Hokage after completing their mission. The combination of Team Kakashi with Team Asuma was very successful, however even if the criminal was now in jail, the after effects of his rare jutsu still remained. "I'm sure it will wear off," Sarutobi concluded.

Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, Asuma, Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji nodded simultaneously. The jutsu was a way to reduce the number of opponents that were able to fight and in some cases weaken those who still remained. Although depending on the situation, those who remained able to fight could become stronger instead. The criminal found out the hard way after his jutsu backfired, making Sasuke Uchiha even stronger than before.

The rare jutsu transferred years of age from one person to another. Both Sakura and Chouji were knocked out early in the fight and were not caught by the jutsu. Kakashi and Asuma knew their remaining students could handle the situation so they didn't interfere, but they did protect those two. As a result the jutsu aimed for the two genin hit their senseis instead. In a combo attack, Ino and Shikamaru were caught by the jutsu and then Sasuke and Naruto. However, taking away years from Naruto to give them to Sasuke proved to be a mistake as the grown up Sasuke was even stronger.

Now they stood there feeling the aftereffects of their mission. Although the jutsu did not affect their minds at all, their physical appearance had changed. Naruto looked like he was a mere three years of age while Sasuke appeared to be in his twenties. Sakura and Chouji were normal. Kakashi was four years old and a much older Asuma stood in a corner looking upset to have turned so old so quickly. Ino now also in her twenties, a couple of years older than Sasuke, was holding Shikamaru, who was only a few months old.

"We'll be back to normal tomorrow?" Kakashi's voice was high pitched and child-like.

"Yes, I'm certain that you will," the Third Hokage assured. "For now just try to carry on with your normal daily activities." He paused and looked at Kakashi's clothes. They were obviously too big for him. "I'm sure Konohamaru won't mind if you borrow some clothes for today." Sarutobi sounded amused by the entire situation. Kakashi simply remained quiet and took it like a ninja.

Since Asuma, although older, was still able to work normally, continuing the day's normal activities wasn't too hard for him. Sakura and Chouji were assigned to tag along and help him with his work. Asuma knew very well the Hokage was calling him old, as if he should talk, but he didn't protest to having help.

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After the meeting was over and both little Kakashi and Naruto had borrowed some clothes from Konohamaru, which were still a bit big but better than what they were wearing before, they headed to Kakashi's apartment to get some clothes for Sasuke. He was much taller now and Kakashi's clothes should fit him. As they walked, Sasuke stared at the floor in embarrassment. His shorts were shorter than he would normally wear and his shirt was not long enough to cover his stomach, plus his clothes were very tight. He could feel the odd stares he was getting.

Naruto was as carefree as always, in fact, he looked happy. Kakashi's expression was no different from the past. He had even borrowed a scarf from Konohamaru to cover half his face, since even the usual cover he wore was too big. Upon arriving at Kakashi's apartment, Sasuke dashed in and made a bee line for the closet. A few minutes later, he was dressed like Kakashi, with half his face covered as well. He even tilted his head band to the side to cover his left eye. "Very funny," little Kakashi commented and Naruto laughed cheerfully.

Sasuke had decided that maybe just that once it was best to follow Naruto's example and take this in a humorous way. He would be back to his normal self by the next morning and he was happy to know that his power would continue to increase as he grew. "Sasuke! Sasuke!" The little Naruto squealed. "Carry me Sasuke!" He lifted his little arms while Sasuke stood there blinking and staring. "Carry me!" Little Naruto repeated.

Sasuke glanced at Kakashi with a puzzled look. "I though his mind wouldn't be affected. Why is he acting like he really is three years old?"

"I don't know..." Little Kakashi admitted. It was obvious he did know, but he would rather let Naruto explain it himself.

Naruto got a sad look in his chibi face. "I'm still the same Naruto, it's just that when I was little I didn't have a family. Before Iruka-sensei started to hang out with me I was always alone. I want to know what it's like to be three and have someone to pick me up and carry me. Pwease!"

"No," Sasuke exited Kakashi's apartment with a sad Naruto following.

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Anko, who had heard about their little predicament, was curious to see Kakashi as a child again. She spotted Sasuke and stopped frozen in her tracks. "Ita," she paused, "Sasuke?" He didn't look happy with what she was about to say. "Look at you, you certainly grew up. Oh look at little Naruto and Kakashi!" Anko sounded cheerful although she knew she made a mistake almost calling Sasuke Itachi.

"You think I look like him don't you?" Sasuke was raging mad.

"Calm down Sasuke," Kakashi was holding on to his leg to keep Sasuke from running off to track down and kill Itachi right away. Naruto thought it was a game and held on to Sasuke's other leg, expecting to get a ride.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Anko voiced.

Sasuke punched a wall in anger, leaving a hole where his fist hit it, then stomped back to Kakashi's apartment while the little sensei complained about property damage. "I'm not going out in public like this. By the time I grow old enough to look like him, he'll already be dead."

There was a moment of eerie silence broken by Naruto's hyperness. "Let's play a game and then you can carry me!"

Sasuke was feeling so frustrated with Anko's accidental insult that he would avoid mirrors all day. "Fine," he picked up little Naruto and held him as if he was a bag of groceries or another random lifeless object. Not that Naruto complained, he was happy that Sasuke had picked him up.

"Me too," Kakashi requested.

Sasuke stared at him, "Kakashi-sensei?"

"My legs are short and I don't feel like walking today. Think of this as training," the silver haired chibi insisted. Sighing hopelessly, Sasuke picked up his little sensei and prepared to endure a day of babysitting.

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Ino had gone to her house to change into clothes that weren't so small. Her skirt was much shorter than she intended it to be and she feared that Jiraiya or some other pervert would pop out of nowhere and make a comment about what she was wearing that would embarrass her. Her only choice was to borrow from her mother. Once that was done, she headed to Shikamaru's house to inform his parents about what happened and ask if she could baby-sit little Shikamaru, he was just so adorable.

"Really, are you sure it's not too much trouble?" Shikamaru's mother asked.

"Not at all, I'll be happy to baby-sit Shika-chan until he's back to normal," Ino happily exclaimed. Shikamaru looked upset. He had the body of a baby, but his mind remained the same, yet Ino appeared to ignore that fact.

"In that case, thank you for offering to take care of him." She pinched her son's little cheek. "You be a good boy for Ino, I'll see you tomorrow." Shikamaru had a look of pure desperation.

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Ino had decided to go for a walk. It was quite convenient that Shikamaru's mother still had some old baby clothes stored away. Now in his little deer suit, Shikamaru stared at the clouds as Ino carried him. "Hey Chouji!" The baby looked towards his best friend when he heard Ino greet him.

"Hello Ino. How's it going with little Shikamaru?" Chouji asked.

"It's going well. He's such a cutie pie," Ino tickled little Shikamaru, who refused to lose his frown of annoyance.

"Yeah until you have to change his diaper," Chouji joked.

Ino paled. "Diaper? I knew I was forgetting something! Chouji, since it's obvious you escaped today's work and left Sakura to help Asuma-sensei in his old age, you can hold Shikamaru for me while I get a diaper." Before Chouji could reply, Ino gave him the panicked child and ran off with the speed of a ninja.

Shikamaru looked absolutely horrified. He tried to express his concern to Chouji but he just wouldn't understand. "I guess turning into a baby must be different from turning into a little kid. You really don't remember anything do you?" Shikamaru did remember, mentally he was the same, but nobody acknowledged that fact. "Of course, if you were the same you would be able to speak," Chouji concluded. Shikamaru was trying his best to speak but his throat would only produce baby sounds. Chouji continued to ignore his protests and insisted on feeding him chips. "C'mon little Shikamaru, you have to eat so you grown up to be big and strong like your uncle Chouji!"

"I'm back!" Ino was carrying a bag with the recently purchased diapers. "Okay, these should be more than enough for the time being." She walked to the bench next to the one Chouji sat on and placed her bag there. She pulled out a diaper and took little Shikamaru in her arms.

"Ino! Chouji!" Sakura arrived. "Asuma-sensei said he wasn't old enough to need too much help from us 'youngsters' yet."

"I see, well in that case you can help me with the diaper," Ino requested and Sakura nodded. The pink aired girl was looking for Sasuke, but got sidetracked at the sight of Ino with baby Shikamaru. No one could ignore such a cute baby. Ino on the other hand, had forgotten about Sasuke because she was too busy with baby Shikamaru.

Shikamaru cried out to Chouji, extending his little arms to his best friend. He would rather have Chouji shoving chips into his face than Ino and Sakura putting a diaper on him, this was too much. He screamed and kicked, and poor Sakura's face happed to be in the way on several occasions. "Ow! Ino get him to calm down" Sakura rubbed her aching face which was now adorned with little footprints. Chouji was trying not to choke on his chips laughing at the scene.

"It's okay little Shika-chan. We're just going to put a diaper on you. There, there, don't be frightened," Ino rocked Shikamaru in her arms and hugged him tightly against her chest. His face began to turn a crimson color being held so close by Ino. Noticing the color Ino placed a hand on his forehead, no fever. "Are alright Shika-chan? Have you calmed down now? That's a good boy!" He gave up and resigned himself to the humiliation of wearing a diaper.

"Sakura! Chouji! Ino is that you?" The voice was followed by the barking of a puppy as Kiba approached. "I heard about what happened. Is Shikamaru really a baby? Is this him?"

"Yup, this is little Shika-chan!" The grown up Ino announced.

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As the day passed by, Sasuke was subjected to some new training. "How is this training again?"

"It is training," little Kakashi assured. "This training is quite effective. It will strengthen both your arms and legs." Little Kakashi and little Naruto were riding on Sasuke's back while the Uchiha crawled all around Kakashi's apartment.

"Horsey! Horsey!" Naruto cheered happily.

"Stop kicking me, Naruto. I'm not your horse," Sasuke growled.

"Don't be mean Sasuke, aren't you having fun?" Naruto smiled brightly.

"Shut up and that's Mr. Uchiha to you," Sasuke grumbled as he continued crawling around carrying the two chibis.

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Night soon came and it was the end of a fun yet exhausting day. Little Shikamaru was left in the care of Ino's mother while Ino took a shower. She returned wearing pajamas, borrowed from her mother, and rolled up her sleeves. She took the baby gently in her arms and spoke to her mother. "Mom could you come check the temperature to make sure it's appropriate."

"Sure," Ino's mother replied. At first Shikamaru was confused by the request, then Ino carried him to the bathroom following her mother, who touched the water in the bathtub and nodded in approval. "The temperature is fine. Be careful with him."

"I will," Ino replied and Shikamaru was filled with fear. She was going to give him a bath.

As she left the bathroom trusting her daughter to be able to handle this by herself, Ino's mother sighed happily. "This is just too cute. Maybe someday you'll marry Shikamaru and you'll be doing this for your own child."

Both Ino and Shikamaru's faces turned red. "Mom don't say things like that."

"Didn't you say you were starting to like him even more than the Uchiha boy?" Ino's mother reminded.

Ino nodded. "Yeah but he doesn't know that yet." For the following time, Shikamaru was too shocked by is discovery to notice Ino taking off his baby clothes and putting him in the tub. When he did notice, he squirmed and splashed around energetically, trying to escape the embarrassing situation. "For someone who's so lazy you certainly had a lot of energy as a baby."

Once Ino emerged from the bathroom with a very clean little Shikamaru, her father asked. "Ino, where are you going to put the baby to sleep?"

"I thought I could just keep him in my room. That way I can be there in case he needs anything at night," Ino answered.

Her father took a moment to think about it then nodded. "Alright, make sure he doesn't fall off the bed or anything." He was only a baby so there really was no problem.

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Ino placed several pillows on one side of her bed and climbed in on the other side with Shika-chan in the middle. "Maybe it would be good if I did marry Shikamaru and had a little Shika-chan in the future... good night!" She gave him a kiss on the forehead and turned off the lights.

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When the next morning came, Shikamaru and Ino were at their normal ages again. When Ino woke up she was surprised to find Shikamaru sound asleep next to her, but quickly remembered the previous day and stopped herself from yelling in surprise. She thought it was best to leave quietly and change out of the pajamas which were too big for her now. Shikamaru's baby clothes were torn to pieces by his growing body, but apparently he didn't notice and continued sleeping.

After Ino was changed into her normal clothes, she returned to wake Shikamaru. "Shika-chan... I mean Shikamaru, wake up!" Shikamaru lazily opened his eyes and saw Ino. He remembered that he was not in his room. "You don't remember anything, right? I thought that would happen."

Shikamaru could clearly remember the events that occurred when he was a baby, but he decided it was best to pretend he didn't remember. "How did I get here? The last thing I remember is going on that mission."

Ino quickly narrated the story of the previous day, bringing a red color to both their faces on some parts. Of course, she skipped the part about saying it would be good to marry him in the future. "That's the entire story."

"That was... surprising," Shikamaru commented.

"Yeah, here are some clothes. I'll leave you to change now." Ino left her room.

Shikamaru stared at the closed door where Ino had left. "What a day..."

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Sasuke woke up to see an unfamiliar ceiling. The memories of the previous day came rushing back into his mind and he ran to find a mirror. Hs looked like his young self again and Kakashi's clothes were too big for him.

"Ow, you stepped on me!" Came Naruto's complaint when Sasuke jumped out of bed. They had moved their 'training session' to Naruto's apartment because he wanted to play with some old toys and relive the childhood he didn't have before. Sasuke had completely forgotten that Naruto's sleeping bag was next to the bed. The Uchiha was so tired from his training that Naruto had mercy on him and let him take the bed.

On the other side there was Kakashi's sleeping bag. Sasuke in his big clothes and Naruto in his chokingly small clothes stared at him. He was currently inside the sleeping bag with a few torn pieces of fabric on his shoulders. Konohamaru's small clothes could only stretch so far. The two boys couldn't help it but to point at their sensei and laugh hysterically. "I'll be heading back to my apartment now." Kakashi hoped away in the sleeping bag.

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Gai, who happened to be passing by when Kakashi was on his way to his apartment, saw him jumping around wearing a sleeping bag. With a 'nice guy' pose of determination, he ran to find his favorite student Rock Lee. In a matter of minutes, Gai and Lee could be seen hopping laps around the Hidden Leaf village inside sleeping bags. "Whatever secret training you're doing Kakashi, I can do it too!"

End of Event 30

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**Event 31: Troublesome** (InoxShikamaru, NarutoxHinata)

The sunlight reached into the young man's room, creating shadows that he could easily control had he felt like it. The alarm clock sounded its annoying melody, signaling the start of another day. 'How troublesome,' Shikamaru thought. He wanted to lift his arm, pick up the annoying alarm clock and throw it against a wall. He could imagine its high pitched song becoming silence as its pieces scattered all over the floor, but that would be troublesome and furthermore pointless.

He had to get up, he knew it but it was just so troublesome. It was just another pointless day so maybe he would stay in bed and sleep in all day long. It was just another pointless day of watching Chouji eating chips and listening to Ino talk about Sasuke. She did it less often now than years ago, yet somehow it bothered him more now than it did then, not that he blamed Sasuke for his annoyance, he blamed Ino for being so troublesome.

It was as if the barrier of indifference around Shikamaru disappeared like a shadow with no light at Ino's presence. He couldn't pint point when exactly it started being like that, but it was. Maybe the process had been so slow and natural he didn't even notice. Then again, she always cheered for him for as long as he could remember. Although she wasn't happy with her team when they were first assigned to work together, and she made that fact quite clear, they had come to get along very well and were always supportive of one another.

Tired of listening to his alarm clock, Shikamaru sat up and pressed the little button on top of the terrible invention of doom and insanity. He got up, took a pointless shower and ate a troublesome breakfast. It was so very troublesome to distribute the syrup evenly on the pancakes to get that delicious yet pointless taste. The food would be food regardless of how it tasted, but he had to admit, he preferred it when it tasted good. Then he headed off to meet his teammates.

He was the last one to arrive, but he was still on time, so neither Ino nor Chouji commented on the less than early arrival. The three ninjas waited for their mission to be assigned along with other teams.

"I'm going to be the greatest hokage, believe it!" A blond young man proudly declared. Now it sounded a little more believable than it had a few years ago. A pink haired young woman shook her head and rolled her green eyes. Catching her expression, the blond young man directed his blue gaze at her. "Don't you believe it, Sakura?"

She took a moment to choose the right words for her answer and spoke with full honesty. "It's not that I don't believe it, Naruto. I'll admit you have come a long way. It's just that..." She paused, her soft tone of voice changed to nearly a scream of annoyance. "You don't have to remind us every five minutes!"

Naruto quickly placed his hands over his ringing ears. "You didn't have to yell at me!"

"I wasn't yelling!" Sakura raised the volume of her voice.

"That's enough you two. You're acting like little kids!" A handsome young man with dark hair and eyes scolded them.

"Naruto," Hinata spoke softly. "I think you would make a great hokage."

Naruto smiled and put an arm around her. "Thank you Hinata. I know I can always count on you. You don't need to be so shy you know." Hinata nodded. "It's okay, I think it's cute." He gave her a kiss. The only time he had heard her speak up was probably when she confessed her feelings to him.

xoxox xox xoxox

Keeping such strong feelings bottled up inside was not only troublesome but also pointless since eventually they would get out. One day Hinata was watching Naruto train and he noticed her presence. "Hinata? Why don't you come out? I could use a little help with my training if you're not busy."

"You want me to help?" Hinata asked softly.

"Yes, you're a great ninja!" Naruto was always smiling, always cheerful. That was one of the things she liked about him, how he always found the bright side to any situation and never gave up.

"Thank you," Hinata was blushing a little and looking at the ground as she often did when Naruto was around.

"Hinata, can I ask you something?" He moved a little closer, hoping she would look up from the ground. He took a moment to look at the ground, it was just regular green grass. He looked at her shoes and at his, wondering if he had stepped on something, but his shoes were just as any other shinobi's shoes after training for a while.

"Yes Naruto?" As she spoke those words, not once did she take her eyes off the ground.

"Look at me Hinata," he requested. Hinata slowly lifted her head. He was only a few inches away. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to. If you don't like to be around me I'll understand, just please tell me why."

She paused, looking a little surprised. Was that what he thought was going on? "Naruto, I..."

"You hardly talk to me. I know you're very nice but why do you avoid me? It doesn't sound like something you would do without a reason. I thought I smelled bad or something, but I took a bath before starting my training and I used plenty of deodorant. The deodorant said it was for hard working shonobis, expensive too. Is it helping?" Naruto asked.

Hinata couldn't help it but to laugh. His sense of humor was something else she liked about him. "Naruto, you don't smell bad."

"I don't?" Laughter was easily contagious for him.

"Really, you smell just fine," Hinata felt the shyness return to her after it had disappeared for a few seconds.

"It's nice to see you smiling and laughing like that. You look really cute." Hinata blushed. "There's no need to be shy, okay? I'd like to talk to you more often," Naruto smiled.

"Naruto, I..." She took a deep breath, it was now or never. "I really like you!" Hinata nearly yelled.

Naruto blinked as if it took a moment, a long moment, for him to understand what she meant. Was that the reason why she was being so shy? All that because she liked him? He smiled from ear to ear. "I like you too Hinata!" Naruto and Hinata could often be seen together after that afternoon. He had always been outgoing and a little loud, while she was shy and quiet, but it was alright because they complemented each other.

xoxox xox xoxox

That had been quite the show. The two shinobis were feeling the harshness of the persistent summer sun but they didn't stop their training. Taking off their shirts would probably make the possibility of sun burn worse, but it would be a little more comfortable to feel the soft summer breeze on their skin. It was a very nice show indeed. Hinata had been watching, hidden up in a tree. There were girls on the trees and in the bushes, all around. Anyone who visited the Leaf Village that day would wonder where all the young women went, because they could not be found in the stores or recreational areas of the village. They were all watching the show.

"Ino, this is pointless," Shikamaru was hiding in some bushes. Ino was watching the battle between Naruto and Sasuke. Shikamaru wasn't even sure why she insisted on dragged him there. "Ino!"

"Shh! Not now," Ino didn't take her eyes off Sasuke.

"I'm leaving," Shikamaru attempted to get up, but Ino grabbed his arm.

"If you move now they'll discover my position," Ino explained.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I'm certain that with all the squeals they must know by now they're surrounded by girls. I'm not going to sit here wasting my time. Why don't you find your friend Sakura so the two of you can have a fangirl moment together."

"Oh shut up and sit down," Ino insisted.

Shikamaru wasn't sure why in the world she dragged him there when the news got out of the little afternoon training session between Sasuke and Naruto. In fact, he wasn't sure why in the world he let her drag him there. Other than Sasuke and Naruto, he was probably the only man there. He could imagine what people would say. He had already received a few odd looks from random girls hiding near by. "Ino..."

"Shh!" Ino wrapped her arms around him to keep him sitting still. "Just be quiet, okay? If you leave you'll give away my position. Just for a little longer Shika. Then we'll go meet Chouji like we planned. He'll understand if we're a little late." Suddenly Shikamaru didn't mind the pointless waste of time that was being there anymore. He didn't care about the odd stares and weirded out glances he would be getting the next day. Being that close to Ino wasn't so bad, it felt good. How troublesome, it was pointless and so troublesome. Shikamaru found a lot of things to be troublesome, but Ino was the most troublesome of all.

xoxox xox xoxox

"Do you have any idea how expensive that deodorant was?" Naruto pouted. "Well Mr. I'm too cool to smile more than once a week, it was very expensive!"

"Good, next time we train you can put it to good use. Unless you were trying to knock me out with the smell." Without warning, although Sasuke knew it would happen, Naruto tackled him and the two went rolling down a hill.

"You're mean you know that Sasuke?" Naruto accused after they reached the bottom.

"You're stupid, you know that Naruto?" Maybe Sasuke had spent too much time with Naruto, who had become his best friend, and was becoming a little less serious.

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto spoke while they rested in the cool grass and looked up at the stars. "What are your plans for the future now?" He knew that he planned to face Itachi, but he had already done that.

"I'm going on a trip," Sasuke answered.

"What? You're going away? You can't do that, we're a team!" Naruto complained.

"It's been decided." Clearly Sasuke wasn't going to change his mind. "The Hokage already knows. It's alright for me to leave the village for a little while. I want to travel on my own."

"What about your team?" Naruto complained.

"You'll be fine. It's not like I'll never set foot in the Leaf Village again. I'll come back some day," Sasuke assured.

"Why do I have the feeling that it might take a while?" Naruto still didn't like it.

"Because it might," Sasuke got up. "I have to get up early tomorrow."

As he started to walk away, Naruto stopped him. "You're leaving tomorrow aren't you?" The black haired ninja nodded. "Why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Sometimes you can have a big mouth and I didn't want anyone else to know. Only the Hokage and Kakashi knew I'm leaving. I don't want to be followed. This is a trip just for me," Sasuke explained.

Naruto nodded, "I can keep a secret you know. I respect that if you want to go on your own, but you still should have told me. I guess I'll see you off bright and early tomorrow."

"You don't have to," Sasuke replied.

"Stop trying to act cool, we're pals now, remember? Oh did I tell you? Hinata said she likes me and she told me I smelled fine. I'm going to go out with her. I've always kind of liked her but she kept avoiding me so I never asked her out," Naruto grinned.

"I'm really happy you found someone who can put up with you Naruto." Naruto childishly stuck out his tongue, causing Sasuke to shake his head hopelessly.

xoxox xox xoxox

Sasuke had returned sooner than expected, although sometimes he disappeared for days and no one knew where he went. He and Naruto had become even better friends, which was something that no one could have imagined a few years ago.

After their mission was assigned Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji headed for their destination. They probably wouldn't be back for a few days. They had become stronger and were old enough and experienced enough to go on missions on their own. The stage in their lives where they needed a sensei to guide them was over. Now they trained and improved on their own.

"I hope I packed enough food," Chouji commented as they moved further away from the Leaf Village.

xoxox xox xoxox

The mission was easy to accomplish. Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji were on their way back to the Leaf Village when night fell and they decided to make camp. "Ino! Ino!" Ino woke up and immediately noticed that it was raining outside. Luckily their tents were water proof. She opened the zipper to find Shikamaru soaking wet and shivering from the cold. "Can I come in?"

"Um... sure" Ino moved away from the tent's entrance to allow Shikamaru to crawl inside. "What were you doing out there?"

"I left my tent at home. I thought it was pointless to bring it since I could simply sleep outside and setting it up is always so troublesome. It's troublesome to carry something I'm not really going to use," Shikamaru explained.

"And now you wish you had it," Ino laughed. "You can be quite amusing sometimes Shikamaru."

Shikamaru decided not to answer that and instead went straight to the point. "Do you mind if I stay here? Chouji he snores and would keep me awake all night with all that noise. Besides, there's hardly any space for me there with all the food he brought. Carrying to much luggage is so pointless."

Somehow it didn't feel right to leave her teammate, friend and new secret crush out in the cold rain in the middle of the night. "Alright, but you have to get yourself dried off before you get a cold and give me a cold too." Since she knew Shikamaru only carried what was necessary, Ino started to look in her backpack for a towel.

"Ino, have you seen Shikamaru?" A voice suddenly asked. Ino turned her head towards the entrance of the tent where Chouji stood with an umbrella. "Sorry, I didn't know." Chouji quickly apologized, although Ino wasn't sure why. "I woke up for a midnight snack and Shikamaru was gone so I came to ask if you knew what happened. Your tent was unzipped so I didn't know you needed privacy. I'll be going back to my tent now. See you both in the morning. Don't stay up too late, don't forget we'll get a few days off when we get back to the Leaf Village from this mission so there will be plenty of time to rest, eat and do other stuff." Chouji stopped rambling and left, his cheeks were quite red as he hurried away back to his tent.

Ino was a bit confused. "Shikamaru what was Chouji talking," she turned to look at Shikamaru, "about..."

"I don't know," Shikamaru zipped the tent closed. The cold night air on his wet skin wasn't exactly a pleasant feeling.

"Shikamaru, you idiot!" Ino yelled. "Now I understand what Chouji thought."

"You said the wet clothes would make me catch a cold and give you a cold, remember?" Shikamaru voiced.

"Yes, but... I... Oh, never mind" She tossed a towel at him. "Get yourself dried off and I'll talk to Chouji in the morning." In that sleepless night, Sasuke was the last think on Ino's mind. It was a little hard to think of anyone else when there was a handsome towel-clad ninja fast sleep beside her.

It wasn't until morning that Ino fell asleep, rolled over and woke Shikamaru. Why did she have to be so troublesome? Sure her surprised expression the night before was absolutely priceless, but he didn't find it amusing now. She had rolled over on top of him keeping him trapped in place. He could simply stay there until she woke up. It wasn't like he had somewhere to be, but explaining to Ino why he didn't wake her up would be very troublesome. He tried to escape, moving her as gently as possible so she wouldn't wake up. This was so troublesome. Finally, he managed to set her down and fortunately she was still sleeping peacefully. He got dressed and escaped as quietly as possible.

"Good morning Shikamaru," Chouji greeted while he prepared a big breakfast. He caught sight of the red color on the other ninja's face and couldn't help it but to ask. "Did you have fun last night?"

Shikamaru was taken by surprise, having almost forgotten about Chouji's little misunderstanding the night before. "Can we just drop the subject, please?"

Chouji smiled mischievously. "Oh no, I'm not going to let you live this down for a long time. Are such activities even allowed during missions?"

"We weren't doing anything and besides the mission was over anyway. We'll be back at the Leaf Village today," Shikamaru grumbled.

"That is if we get going right after breakfast. Is Ino still sleeping?" Chouji asked.

Shikamaru looked towards her tent. "I'll go wake her up." As he arrived at the tend, Shikamaru noticed that Ino was dreaming. She was talking in her sleep so she must have been dreaming. The most interesting part was that she was saying his name and not Sasuke's as he would expect. "Ino, wake up!" He shook her shoulder until she woke up from her pleasant dream to find him inches away from her. The tent was pretty small after all.

"Shikamaru!" Ino remembered that she was not alone in the tent. He must have gotten dressed while she was still asleep, a pity. Some time ago, her usual dreams of Sasuke had been replaced by dreams of Shikamaru. She didn't think too much of it. It was only natural since they were on the same team and therefore spent more time together.

"It's morning," Shikamaru informed. Why did the situation feel so troublesome?

"Hey lovebirds, are you two going to eat some breakfast? If you don't want it, I'll eat it all," Chouji appeared at the entrance to the tent, which Shikamaru had again left open.

"Chouji," Shikamaru knew he wouldn't give it a rest.

"It is both troublesome and pointless to try to contradict Chouji when he has made up his mind," Ino quoted what Shikamaru had told her some time ago, during another mission.

"I guess you're right," Shikamaru agreed. Just like it happened for Hinata and Naruto, for Ino and Shikamaru, troublesome feelings would eventfully be resolved. After all, it was pointless to try to hide it.

End of Event 31

Disclaimer, I don't own Saiyuki or Naruto.


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